Part of My Life
by Chiqanti Ceres
Summary: Jack watched the birth of the new princess of Arendelle and decided to visit the baby. However, on his visit he accidentally gave her his ice power. Over 200 years later, the two were reunited, but again she couldn't control her power. Can Jack help Elsa regain her control? Or perhaps he will give her more than that? Real fun starts at chapter 4: Found You.
1. Prologue

"Push! Just a little bit more! You can do it, Your Highness!" cheered the midwife under the cover. The woman giving labor, Idun the Queen of Arendelle, groaned. "I can see the head already! Just another push!"

Beside the queen, the king, Adgar of Arendelle, squeezed her left hand tightly, his face was full of concern. A lot of complications could happen during childbirth that could harm the mother or the baby's life and he wasn't ready to lose either.

"One last push, Your Highness. Push!" said the midwife. The queen took a deep breath and willed herself. With all the strength she had in her, she pushed.

There was a shrill shriek and as the midwife surfaced from under the cover, then a cry followed. "It's a girl," said she as she handed the crying baby girl to her mother.

Idun held the little bundle of joy close to her chest, watching her with eyes overflowing with love. Her tiny hand grabbed the king's finger when he gave it to her. "Elsa..." Idun whispered, "Her name is Elsa." She turned to Adgar who nodded with approval.

Outside the window a figure perched near the windowsill, watching the birth of the new little princess. He wore a white shirt with brown vest and similarly colored breeches and cloak. His hair was silver blonde, gleaming under the moonlight and his eyes were deep blue. He carried a wooden staff in one hand while the other touched the glass that separated him and the happy family inside. Jack Frost, the spirit of winter, smiled at the scene in front of him. "Elsa," he breathed. Another child, another hope for him to be believed in.

Baby Elsa was a month old when Jack dared his visit. He carefully pushed open the window pane and quickly closed it as not to let the chilling winter air entered the room. She was sleeping peacefully inside her crib. He approached closer and hovered over her. She was growing strong, a thin wisp of brunette hair had started to sprout on top of her head. Her rosy cheeks were so cute and chubby, Jack couldn't help but to poke them. It was then Elsa opened her eyes and grabbed Jack's finger. He was astonished but Jack didn't pull back. Gently he caressed her forehead with his other hand, a smile plastered on his face. "You can see me, huh?" For awhile he just stood there quietly, stroking the baby's head while Elsa nibbled at his finger.

A deep dark chuckle boomed and a shadow passed, making Jack abruptly turned. Baby Elsa surprised by Jack's sudden movement started to sob. "Hush... hush... now. It's alright," Jack whispered, picking up Elsa and cradling her to calm her down. Soon enough, she began to doze off and Jack returned her to the crib. The shadow passed again and pooled on the ground in front of the window. The next second, it became a dark tall figure, dressed in black robe. He had obsidian hair and yellow eyes. He was Pitch Black, the boogeyman.

"Jack... Jack... Jack..." said Pitch. "Still waiting to be believed in?"

"What are you doing here Pitch!?" Jack hissed, taking a defensive stance in front of the crib.

"You're not the only one who is allowed to see the new princess." Pitch took a step closer.

"Don't you dare take another step."

"Oh, overly protective, aren't you? Why? You think just because she sees you now, she will be your first believer?"

"Stay back, Pitch. This is your first warning." Jack said in a threatening, condescending tone.

"Babies are wonderful creatures, aren't they? They can see everything, believes in everyone. Wait till she grew bigger, she will realize YOU ARE NOT REAL."

With a loud shout, Jack swung his staff and hurled an ice shard at Pitch which he deflected easily. Jack ducked to avoid getting hit by his own spear. The spear passed him and hit baby Elsa's belly. She woke up startled and started crying on top of her lungs. "No..." Jack whispered as he quickly turned to check on Elsa. The baby's brunette wisp of hair had turned silvery blonde just like his and her skin started to turn blue at the fingertips.

Pitch laughed triumphantly, "Your first believer and you killed her, Jack."

"No..."

"_You _killed her."

"NO!" Jack hooked Pitch neck with his arm and charged for the window. He glanced briefly at the crying baby and steeled his heart. _I'll be right back, Elsa._ With his arm still hooked around Pitch's neck he made a dead drop from the fourth storey to the ground below. Just before they reached the ground, Jack called the wind to take him afloat and threw Pitch headfirst to the ground. "Run, Pitch," said Jack rising his staff. His eyes had glowed white. "Run." Jack swung his staff again and sent torrents of blizzard and ice spears at Pitch.

As quickly as he could, Pitch scrambled to his feet and called his black sand to protect him. He tried to retaliate but his sand never reached Jack every time he sent it after him. "It's winter, Pitch. I'm at my strongest. You can't beat me." It was the first time Pitch ever felt fear, fear for himself. _Run_, his instinct called out and he ran. Only the moon witnessed Pitch's defeat.

After ensuring the boogeyman had run far away, Jack quickly turned back to castle. The window which he had used to visit Elsa had been locked and there was no baby inside the crib. He flew to the other windows, searching for her, wanting to make sure she's alright. Then there was a commotion below and a couple of horses set off from the stables. From afar he saw the riders were the king and the queen, the queen holding a bundle in her arms. He took off after them, wondering where were they taking Elsa.

A couple of minutes through the forest, they arrived at a valley. The valley was peppered with boulders, big and small everywhere. Jack heard Adgard shouted to the air. "Help! Please, help us! Our child, our firstborn..."

The boulders started rolled, surrounding them. The largest one flipped to reveal an elder stone troll. "What happened?"

"We don't know," said Adgar, taking Elsa from his wife's arms. "She suddenly cried in the middle of the night. When we checked on her, her hair had turned white and her hands blue." And the blueness creeping still to the baby's forearm.

The elder shaman, Pabbie, touched the baby and murmured an incantation. "Poor child, she has been frost-touched."

"Will she be alright?" asked Idun. Her eyes were in a brink of tears and her voice cracked.

"She'll live dear, don't worry, but the child was still too small to build up a resistant against the ice that touched her. I'm sorry to say she will carry the ice within her for life."

"What would it mean for her?"

"Nothing other than it could be a gift or a curse, depends on how she harness it. Until she realize her power, you will have nothing to worry about." As Pabbie said it, they could see Elsa's hand had returned to its natural color. Adgar and Idun let out a sigh of relief and Jack followed suit. Unknowingly, he had been holding his breath with them.

"Now go home, you three, and get some rest. The baby surely needs it."

"Yes, thank you," said Adgar and the family turned to leave.

"Take more responsibility of her," said Pabbie before they left.

"Of course we will," said Adgar. Unbeknownst to him, the troll king was actually talking to the figure hovering over them. Jack Frost noticed it and nodded.


	2. Almost

How everything went from wonderfully right to horribly wrong?

When Elsa's power first awakened at five years old, she used it just like how every child would if they had similar power, for fun. With her sister, Anna, they would make their own winter wonderland in the castle ballroom. They would build snowmen, snow forts and did all the fun stuffs people could do when there was snow. Even Jack might be responsible for a snow fight or two between the sisters. After their playtime, their parents would scold them and personally cleaned the ballroom to hide Elsa's power from their servants. That would never stop the siblings' mischief though.

Of course Pitch was right, Elsa couldn't see him anymore. However, he felt a deep connection with the ice princess and kept finding himself watching her every day. He was glad Elsa found joy in her power. It helped eased Jack's guilt albeit a little bit.

But like all good things, this one too must come to an end. It happened too fast, too soon. One moment Elsa and Anna were playing gleefully without a care to the world, and then suddenly Elsa struck Anna on the head with her power. Anna fell to the ground, a strand of her hair turned white and her body became freezing cold. Horrified, Elsa screamed for her sister, calling frantically for her parents. She was losing control over her power and the room started to be covered in ice. Their parents burst inside the room and carried Anna away, Elsa following them, leaving ice trail as she went. Jack watched the whole thing, bewildered and unblinking but soon regain his composure and set off after them.

Jack recognized the Valley of the Living Rocks the moment he set his eyes on it. It was like déjà vu only this time, it was little Anna in Idun's arms who needed help. Pabbie was there to attend to them again. Without any of them noticing, he glanced accusingly at Jack to which Jack replied with shaking his head furiously.

"I see her power has awakened," Pabbie said touching Elsa's hand.

"Yes and it's getting stronger," Adgar said stammering.

Pabbie gestured for Idun to carry Anna to him. He put a hand on Anna's forehead and said, "You're lucky it's not her heart. The heart is not easily changed, but the head can be persuaded." Pabbie began altering Anna's memory so that she would forget Elsa ever had power. He then singled out Elsa. "Listen to me, Elsa. Your power will only grow. There is beauty in it but also great danger. You must learn to control it. Fear will be your enemy."

Elsa was startled by the magic display Pabbie showed and shrunk to her father's embrace. "No, we'll protect her," said Adgar and Jack couldn't believe his ears when he heard what came next from Adgar lips.

* * *

><p>"Elsa, do you want to build a snowman?" little Anna knocked on Elsa's room.<p>

"Go away, Anna," replied Elsa's voice from inside her room.

Elsa heard Anna's footstep getting further and further away. It hurt her to chase away her sister like that but she had no choice. Her father had told her to stay in her room and after what she did to Anna, Elsa was glad to oblige. He even locked down the castle and fired 'unnecessary staffs' just to keep Elsa hidden to the world. Jack couldn't disagree more. How would she learn to control it if her father made her a prisoner in her own home? If he let her power haunted her like it was a curse? Couldn't they see she had perfect control over it when she used it for fun?

Few minutes later she heard Anna's laughter from outside the window. It seemed she had dragged Gerda to play with her. Elsa watched enviously as Anna ran around the snow and laughed when she tripped and fell face first. She leaned closer to the window to take a better look and touched the windowsill. Swiftly, her power flowed from her fingertips to the windowsill, freezing it where she touched. She quickly took her hands back. That evening, his father came to her room and gave her a pair of gloves and chanted to her, "Conceal it, don't feel it, don't let it show." Jack almost tore out his hair.

"Conceal, don't feel, don't let it show... conceal, don't feel, don't let it show..." Elsa chanted again and again, huddled in the corner of a room. "Be a good girl. Conceal, don't feel..."

Jack clutched his staff and watched her in dismay. He knew the more she tried to block her feelings, the more fear would control her, and wouldn't Pitch love that. "Elsa, please stop," Jack muttered despite knowing Elsa wouldn't be able to hear him. "You're making it worse, Elsa."

"Conceal... conceal... conceal," Elsa went on. "Someone... help me..." She began to sob.

"I'm here, Elsa. I want to help," Jack breathed almost inaudible.

Suddenly Elsa stopped sobbing and lifted her head. "Is somebody there?"

Jack was startled. Could it be? He dared not hope yet he tried again. "Elsa, can you hear me?"

"Who's there?" Elsa jolted upright, eyes wandering, searching. She could hear him but not see him, but Jack was giddy with joy already. Now just how could he make her see him?

While Jack was busy thinking, Elsa's wariness began to take over and her control slipping. Ice started to escape from her fingertips, snowflakes starting to swirl around her. Jack quickly abandon all thoughts, "It's going to be okay, Elsa. Just calm down and listen to me," he tried to soothe her. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Show yourself!" Icy torrent escaped from her body and spread across the room. The torrent was so strong that Jack was tossed around and thrown outside the window. Realizing her control slipping, Elsa hugged herself and began chanting again. "Conceal, don't feel, don't let it show."

Jack wasn't one to give up. He returned to her room as fast as he could only to find Elsa chanting again. "Elsa! Elsa!" Jack called out to her, hope still glimmered inside him.

"Conceal, don't feel, don't let it show," muttered Elsa, oblivious to Jack's voice. Elsa had blocked him again.

* * *

><p>"Here... help..."<p>

Elsa lifted her head. Did she just imagine it? "Is someone there?" she asked.

"Elsa... hear... me..."

Elsa jolted upright. There it was again. Whose voice was that? "Who's there?" She looked around her, trying to find the source of the voice, but like always she was alone. Busy searching, she had forgotten to control her emotion. Her power was seeping and snowflakes began swirling around her.

"Elsa... me..." She heard the voice again. "I'm... going to... hurt... you..."

WHAT!?

"Show yourself!" she commanded. Unintentionally, she released all the power she had spent years to compress. Hurricane of ice swirled inside the room. Then she saw it, just a second of glimpse but she saw a face. It was of a man with white hair and blue eyes. Was he the one who wanted to hurt her? Then why were his eyes looking at her with... hope? She tried to make sense of it before the face faded into nothing.

"Who..." Then she heard footsteps. Her parents must have heard her. She must regain composure. She must! "Conceal, don't feel, don't let it show." She hugged herself tight. "Conceal, don't feel, don't let it show." She shut her heart again and the hurricane subsided but nothing could be done to the around her.

"Elsa!" Her parents burst inside. They gaped in shock seeing the state of her room. Her wardrobe had fallen, so had her desk, chair and bookshelf. Pages of books were scattered all around the room. Her bed sheets had flown near the door. It was as if a hurricane just hit the place, which it did. "What happened?"

"I'm scared," Elsa shrieked. "It's getting stronger."

"Getting upset will only make it worse, calm down." Adgar reached for Elsa.

"No! Don't touch me!" she shrunk away, pressing her arms close to her chest. "Please, I don't want to hurt you."

Jack left, as dejected and despaired as her parents.

* * *

><p><strong>There you go, finished faster than I expected. I hoped you enjoyed it<strong>

**Reviews are welcomed :)**


	3. Thaw

10 years later

"Hot chocolate?" A man offered, startling Jack whom almost slipped from the roof he was sitting on.

Jack stared at the mug then to the man who offered it. He was a big burly man with red winter sweater and long brown breeches. He was rather old, with graying beard and hair and kind blue eyes. "Heh, it's just you, North." Jack accepted the mug. "It's summer. Isn't it too hot for hot chocolate?"

"It's never too hot near the spirit of winter," North patted Jack on the back. North or commonly known as Santa Claus was a great benefactor among the spirits. He was the reason spirits were able to enjoy mortal goods such as a mug of hot chocolate. Jack Frost met the man not long after the Man in Moon woke him up. He taught him the basic of being a spirit and introduced him to others too. He was the closest one to a company Jack ever had.

Jack took a sip of the soothing beverage and stared to the distance, his back against Arendelle castle's chimney. It was the peak of summer in Arendelle and dusk was nigh. Arendelle couldn't be more beautiful. The sun was rolling down the horizon, reflecting its glistening orange light to the fjord. The sky took a purple and amber hue, basking the castle with similar color. It was breathtaking.

"You've been pouting on this roof for a decade, Jack," started North.

"Really?" Jack glanced at North. "Didn't feel that long."

"Everyone notices your absence. Even Bunny is starting to miss your pranks."

"Bunny misses me? Ha! Isn't that the news of the decade," Jack chuckled.

"He won't admit it if you ask him, but I know. I can feel it," North patted his stomach and gave Jack a wink. "In my belly."

They both laughed but afterward silence ensued. "It's about the girl, isn't it? She troubles your mind?" asked North. Count on North to know about everyone in the world. The saying 'he knows if you've been bad or good' was true after all. "I'm not going to force you to spill everything Jack." He put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "I just want you to know I'm here to listen, whenever you're ready."

Jack mood turned somber. He slid to a sitting position, almost splayed. "It hurts, North," he said almost sighing.

"Hmm?"

"That day, she almost believed in me. She was opening up. She could hear my voice." Jack looked up. Dusk had settled and the moon began to shine its pale light. "But only to be shut out again the next second. You don't know how hopeful I was that day. I thought finally someone could see me, finally I could correct my mistake," Jack raised his hand and opened his palm. A beautiful snowflake danced over it. "Finally I could help her." Then he closed his hand into a fist, crushing the snowflake. "Then my hope was crushed, just like that. Eleven years of waiting, North, only to realize she would _never_ let anyone in."

"Yet still here you are, ten years after. Why?"

A sad laughter escaped Jack's lips. "I wonder why too."

"You still hope that someday, one day, she can see you, don't you?"

"Ever since I woke up, not a single person had heard me but her. She's my greatest chance of being believed in." Jack leaned toward North and whispered. "And I promised a troll too."

However, Jack wondered if he still was qualified to watch over her. During her most troubling day, when her parents perished at the sea, Jack hadn't been there for her. He had watched from outside the window, impotent, when she had wallowed in despair, her sister in the same state just on the other side of the door. He hadn't come inside, hadn't try again to reveal himself. The pain of rejection had still been raw in his heart.

"But today is her special day, is it not? The least you could do is to stand by her, invisible or not." Jack pondered the idea while playing with his staff, spinning it here and there just to stall having to answer North. "You know I'm right, Jack."

"Argh what the hell," Jack stood abruptly. "It's Elsa's coronation day. I should show some support." He grinned.

"That's the spirit."

Just before Jack could fly down to the celebration, the gates of the castle were slammed open. Out came Elsa, running out greeted by the townspeople, but Jack noticed something wasn't quite right with her. A woman with a baby in her arms approached Elsa. She too noticed there was something odd. Elsa backed away from her, cornered against a fountain. Her ungloved hand touched the rim and in an instant the fountain water froze. Peopl1e stared at her, chattering in horror.

Another person stormed off from the castle, a noble, pointing at Elsa. "Stop her!"

"Please, just stay away from me. Stay away!" Ice escaped from Elsa's hand, blasting the noble and his bodyguards off their feet.

"Monster..." the noble sat up, again pointing at Elsa. "Monster!"

Around her, people began taking a step back. Some even hid their children, as if trying to protect them from her. Elsa turned and ran.

Just a moment later, Anna too came out from the gate. "Elsa!" she called her but Elsa ignored her. Anna took off after her, followed by a guy Jack never saw before.

"What happened?" asked North as he approached Jack.

"It's Elsa. They know now."

"Know what?"

"Her power," Jack said still staring at the figure of Elsa getting further from his sight. "I have to go." He called the wind to carry him, following Elsa wherever she might go.

"I'll catch up to you!" Jack heard North shouted to him before he was too far from hearing distance.

Elsa stopped at the edge of the water. Hearing Anna approaching, she turned her body and took a slow step back. Her foot touched the water but instead of submerging, the water turned to ice. Without a second thought she turned again and ran for it. Anna had just arrived at the shore but Elsa was already halfway across the fjord. She tried to go after her but she tripped. The guy who followed Anna helped her up but by then, Elsa had reached the other end and ran toward the mountains.

Jack didn't give up chase. He followed her through the woods, wondering when or where she would stop. He too wondered how or where she found the strength to scale a mountain in one night. Was her fear of her own power so great that it could drive her to that extent? It must be so. She never even once looked back when she ran. She must have wanted to escape for so long. Guilt began to tear at his heart again, reminding him of all the time he should be there for her but hadn't.

Jack stopped mid-flight as memories raced in his mind. He remembered when Elsa had crouched against the door, weeping for her lost parents. He remembered when Elsa had cried for help and Jack answered her. He remembered how he had been so close to be believed in, only to get thrown out the window and shut out, quite literally too. Most of all he remembered how it was _him_. He was the one who caused so much pain in Elsa's life, although unintentionally. A visit, a simple visit had gone so wrong. Why had he so insisted to see the baby anyway? Had he so longed to be seen, he couldn't help himself? If only Jack hadn't been there that night, he wouldn't inadvertently give his power to Elsa and thus ruining her entire life. Did he still have the right to chase after now? After all that he had done?

Sensing his unwillingness to press on, the wind began to lower Jack to the ground. Jack dropped to his hindquarters, leaning against a tree. Staring up, he saw the moon shone its pale light. "What am I supposed to do?" Jack asked the moon.

"Take more responsibility," Jack heard a voice said but it wasn't the moon. The troll king, he remembered, had tasked him to take responsibility of his mistake regardless how he felt. Jack squeezed his staff and willed himself. He had promised Pabbie and it was one promise Jack intended to keep.

Jack summoned the wind again and took flight. High above the canopy of the forest, he searched left and right for any trace of Elsa but the storm she summoned had since buried all traces of footprints. Then, high on the top of the North Mountain, Jack saw it. A blue castle rose from the ground, majestic and regal. Not wasting another moment, he flew there.

Jack arrived shortly after to find Elsa had built a castle of ice and even decorating it. She was finally letting her power flow, letting herself free from the clasp of fear. Jack was too stunned to move from his spot, only observing as the castle rose even higher until finally it stopped.

Jack marveled at the structure before him. He found himself smiling. Pride and a sliver of envy collided together inside him. Just a moment of letting go and look at what Elsa could do. He touched the handrail of the stair that led to Elsa's castle, so smooth and pristine under his hand. Jack chuckled. That chuckle turned into laughter as he climbed the stair to the gate of the castle.

"Elsa!" he called out knowing full well Elsa wouldn't be able to hear him. Jack pushed open the gate and beheld a frozen fountain in front of him. He smoothed the rim, grinning to himself again. To his right, he found a long staircase leading upward. He climbed it too, increasing his pace to a brisk walk.

At the topmost floor he found Elsa. She was out on the balcony, bathed by the ray of sunrise. She had made a blue glittery dress for herself along with a transparent cape. Her tightly bound hair was now a tied into a French braid decorated with snowflakes. Jack could only see Elsa's back but nevertheless the view was breathtaking. Elsa was breathtaking.

"Took you long enough, Jack," North appeared behind him, breaking Jack from his trance.

"Nor... North," Jack flustered but quickly composed himself. "Where have you been?"

"Checking out this castle. I must say, your girl is powerful."

"Yeah, we love each other so much that she is so used to my presence to the point I'm invisible to her," Jack said sarcastically. "Wait, she can't see nor hear you either? But you're Santa Claus!"

"She's a 21-years old woman, Jack."

"Right..."

"What do you want to do now?"

"I don't know." Jack turned to Elsa whilst leaning on his staff. "She looked happy here. Maybe she doesn't need help after all."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not. That's why I'm staying here for a few days until I make sure she's perfectly fine then..."

"Then?"

"Then I'll leave. It's about time I move on. Twenty-one years is long enough," Jack said with conviction in his eyes.

North put both his hands on Jack's shoulders. "Good call," he said smiling at Jack.

There was a knock which made the three of them turned toward the door. Elsa dashed past them, completely oblivious to their presence. Jack was about to run after her but stopped himself and glanced at North. North nodded and Jack followed after Elsa.

Elsa stopped and beheld Anna just at the bottom of the stair. Jack couldn't help but to commend the Arendelle sisters' fervor. If driven, it seems they could accomplish anything. Anna tried to convince Elsa to return home with her but Elsa walked away, running toward her chamber. Anna persistently followed her.

"We can head down this mountain together. You don't have to live in fear," Anna said. "I will be right here."

"Anna," Elsa turned to Anna, eyes filled with love and concern for her sister. "Please go back home, your life awaits. Go enjoy the sun and open up the gates." Jack finally caught up to her. North was still in the room and they both observed the two sisters.

"Yeah, but..."

"I know you mean well, but leave me be. Yes, I'm alone but I'm alone and free." Elsa walked to the balcony and Anna walked with her. "Just stay away and you'll be safe from me." She shrunk away from her sister and went back inside her chamber.

"Actually, we're not."

"What do you mean 'you're not'?"

"I get the feeling you don't know."

Elsa rolled her eyes at Anna in frustration. Her sister always had that annoying trait of beating around the bush. "What do I don't know?"

"Arendelle's in deep, deep, deep, deep snow…" Anna said slightly reluctant.

"What?" Elsa, Jack and North's voice echoed together in the room although to Anna's ears its only Elsa's voice she could hear.

"You kind of set off an eternal winter… everywhere."

"Everywhere?" Her emotion starting to become a jumble again and the room started to snow.

"It's okay. You can just unfreeze it." Anna looked at Elsa with hope.

"No, I can't! I… I don't know how!"

"Sure you can. I know you can." The revelation of what she had done and how bad it was made the snow became a blizzard, swirling around the room with Elsa at its center.

Elsa averted from Anna, the blizzard starting to become stronger. "Oh! I'm such a fool. I can't be free."

"You don't have to be afraid."

"No escape from the storm inside of me." Elsa was so busy with her own emotion that her sister's voice was nothing but a distant call.

"We can work this out together."

"I can't control the curse." Jack felt a prick in his heart. A curse, of course that was what Elsa thought of her power. Heart full of ache, Jack began to walk away.

"You want to leave now, Jack?" asked North.

He glanced somberly at North. "Yes." It was all Jack could muster to say.

Jack began climbing down the stairs with downcast eyes while North switched glances between the two sisters and Jack. He then decided to go after Jack. As they climbed down, a man and a snowman (?) climbed up with haste and passed through Jack and North. Jack didn't even look at the face of the man or wondered why there was a walking snowman.

"Jack wait," said North panting. They were quite the distance away from the castle and were at the edge of the forest. "She clearly needed help there, Jack. She wasn't truly happy."

"You heard her!" Jack said full of rage. His patience was growing thin. "She thinks her power is a curse, from a curse. Even if she can see me, she would never let me help her because it's _me_. _I'm _the one who gave her that CURSE." He hissed the final word, throwing all his anger and frustration at North. North looked at him disbelievingly. "I…I'm sorry, North. I didn't mean to…" Jack stammered then sighed. "I'm so tired. I'm tired trying to be responsible for my mistake, for her. How can I be responsible for someone who doesn't even know I'm there?"

North looked at Jack with pity. He then slung his arm around Jack neck. "What you need is a good long walk. Let's go."

"I don't that will help, North."

"We'll see."

So Jack followed North, half walking half dragged, but soon he willingly walked by himself. North was right, the walk helped clear his mind a bit. They lost all tracks of time and for spirits and guardians like them, time didn't really matter. They were deep inside the forest when suddenly a horse galloped through Jack and North to the direction of the North Mountain and then a second one and another few. Although he only caught a glimpse, Jack recognized one of them to be the man who was with Anna the night Elsa ran away. Jack also noticed they were all armed.

"Where are they going?" asked North.

Instinct made Jack thought about Elsa. "They're coming after Elsa! I have to help her!" Forgetting about North, Jack took flight and rushed to the ice castle.

The men were there already. Jack saw from afar the men dismounted and approached the stair. Suddenly, the snow mound just by the staircase shifted and showed its face. It stood up revealing a horrendous snow monster. The men fired at it, but their arrows were easily blocked by the monster. With a single fling of his arm, it swept them off their feet. Two men dressed in red noticed Elsa closing the door. They took their crossbows and quickly chased after her.

Jack furrowed his brows and charged after them when something knocked him on his side. He rolled and tumbled on the snow before finally regained his footing. He crawled and looked behind his shoulders, seeing he was now a distance away from the castle. He turned and glared at his attacker. "Pitch," he hissed.

"Hello again, Jack." Pitch smile smugly.

"Looking for another beating?" Jack readied his staff, aiming at Pitch.

"But that's where you're wrong, Jack. I'm here to thank you."

"What?"

"You see," Pitch circled Jack, still grinning smugly. "I fed off quite well of Elsa's fear. She wouldn't supply me with such delicious delicacy if it wasn't for you." Jack charged at Pitch. Pitch raised his arm and as easily as that, Jack was thrown away. "I'm stronger now, Jack, and remember, it's summer now. You're at your weakest, aren't you?" Pitch smirked victoriously.

"I'll beat you nonetheless," Jack aimed his staff and shot an ice shard from it. Pitch raised his palm and deflected it easily.

Jack didn't give up attack. He swung his staff to send flurries of shards at Pitch. Again, Pitch just deflected it as easily as the first. He deflected everything Jack threw at him whilst he closed the distance between them. Finally, standing in front of Jack, he grabbed Jack's neck and lifted him off his feet. With his other hand, he summoned a scythe. Jack struggled, trying to free himself from Pitch's grasp, his staff thrown away in the fight. "Have a nice nightmare, Jack Frost."

"Ho! Ho! Ho!" Someone laughed as his body checked Pitch, sending him sprawling to the snow and releasing Jack from his grasp.

Jack fell to the ground, grasping for his staff whilst coughing all the while. A hand was offered to him and Jack took it. "Nice timing, North. Thanks," Jack said as North helped him up.

"You're welcome," North said while unsheathing his twin swords.

"He's stronger because of Elsa's fear. I can't beat him now."

"Well two can accomplish much more than one." North gave Jack a meaningful grin.

"You really think you can beat me, North?" Pitch stood up, dusting off the snow from his robe.

"I don't think, Pitch. I know."

North roared as he rushed toward Pitch, swords ready and poised. Pitch summoned his sand scythe again and swung it at North. Their weapons clashed together. There was a momentary test of strength before North came in the upper hand and shoved Pitch back. He began a series of slice and dice which Pitch block and dodged. Pitch sidestepped to the left when he suddenly skidded and fell. Jack had turned the snow into slippery ice moment before Pitch laid his feet on the ground. North jumped, ready to deliver the final blow when Pitch chuckled and dissolved into shadow to the ground. Carried by momentum, North struck the ground instead. "We'll meet again," Pitch's voice echoed his last parting words.

North pulled out his sword from the ground and sheathed them. "You have something to do, Jack."

Jack nodded and flew to the castle, hoping in any way he could help Elsa. However, when he arrived at her chamber there was nobody there and it was a complete mess. Elsa's ceiling decoration had fallen to the ground, her balcony in ruins and there were jagged spikes of ice everywhere. Jack ran out to meet North. "She's not here! They got her!" he exclaimed in panic.

"Go! Go back to Arendelle! They must've taken her there."

Jack flew as fast as the wind could carry him. From high afar he could see a storm brewing in Arendelle. Driven by urgency, he begged the wind to carry him faster. He searched for the eye of the storm, knowing Elsa would be there.

There was a figure, not too far from the eye of the storm walking with swaying steps on the fjord. Jack stopped and saw it was Anna. He was shocked at the state she was in. Her hair had turned white much like his and Elsa's and slowly her body was covered with frost. Her fingertips too had turned blue. What had happened to her?

Suddenly the blizzard stopped and there was a sound of sword being unsheathed. Both Anna and Jack turned to the source of the sound. It was that guy leading the horsemen, his sword raised high to strike a kneeling figure in front of him.

"Elsa!" both Jack and Anna cried, one running and one flying toward her.

Jack stopped in front of the man, staff raised horizontally to block his sword but it passed through him like he was thin air. _No… Elsa_… Jack thought as he reflexively crouched down and embraced Elsa in his arms, trying to protect her. He closed his eyes. In his heart he knew the sword would pass through him anyway and struck Elsa.

"No!" a shout then, there was a sound of metal hitting something hard. Shards of blade shattered around them. Jack and Elsa looked up to see Anna, one hand raised, frozen. The man who had attacked her was sprawling on the frozen fjord.

"Anna!" Elsa screamed frantically. She scrambled to her feet. "Oh Anna… No… No… Please… No…" She touched the cheeks of her frozen sister. They were perfect ice, cold and pristine. Elsa threw herself at the frozen statue of her sister, weeping.

Jack stood up. He was dismayed. A little devil in his heart told him it was good that it wasn't Elsa who died. He squeezed his staff and shook his head. How could he even think of such a thing? Elsa just lost the only family she had left in this world.

There was a blonde hunk, a reindeer and a snowman approaching them but Elsa couldn't care less. "I'm sorry, Anna," she whispered to the statue again and again. "I'm so sorry."

It was a miracle out of the blue. Before their eyes, Anna began to thaw out starting at her heart. Elsa felt Anna moved and locked her eyes to hers. "Anna?" she cried out in a joy and hugged her like never before.

"Oh Elsa," Anna sighed.

Releasing Anna from her embrace, Elsa cupped Anna's hands with hers. "You sacrificed yourself for me?" Elsa asked.

"I love you," Anna said, an answer so simple yet so beautiful.

The snowman gasped. "An act of true love with thaw a frozen heart," it said.

"Love will thaw…" Elsa repeated then looked at Anna with surety in her eyes. "Love! Of course!"

"Elsa?" Anna looked back at her expectantly.

"Love…" Elsa directed her hands to the ground and slowly lifted them up. The snow and ice all around them and Arandelle followed her movement. A ship rose from the frozen lake where they were standing. Elsa clasped her hands together and all the snow combined into one giant snowflake and when she spread her arms again, the snowflake dispersed. Summer had returned to Arendelle.

"I knew you can do it," Anna smiling at his sister.

"Hands down this is the best day of my life," said the snowman as it began to melt, "and quite possibly the last."

"Oh Olaf," Elsa and Anna chuckled. "Hang on, little guy." Elsa twirled a finger, reassembling the snowman and made a cloud of snow just above its head.

The snowman gasped. "My own personal flurry!" he exclaimed and chuckled bashfully.

The man who had aimed his sword at Elsa began to regain his consciousness. The blonde hunk marched to him but he was stopped by Anna and she personally approached him.

"Anna?" the man stared at her confused, "but she froze your heart!"

"The only frozen heart around here is yours." Anna walked away only to turn back a second after and gave him a good punch on the nose that send the man overboard. There was a cheer from the onlookers and Anna hugged her sister again.

Jack smiled. His heart was a mix of happiness and sadness. He was happy Elsa finally found control over her power and no longer lived in fear of it, but sad that he had no part in that revelation. Elsa didn't need him after all.

Jack flew off the ship and left. It was the last time he ever set foot on Arendelle.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew. This is one long chapter, although somehow I managed to finish it in just 2 days.<br>**

**Anyway this is the end of the build up chapters. For all the Jelsa fans out there, don't mope. Jack will find Elsa again soon.**

**Sorry for those who wished Jack would look stronger in this chapter. His power you see is seasonal.**

**Thank you for reading. Look forward for the next chapter :)**

**SPOILER ALERT**

**Elsa finally sees Jack.**


	4. Found You

9 months after 'Rise of the Guardians'

Jack yawned and stretched. The sun had risen but that wasn't what had awakened Jack from his slumber. It was still early in the morning yet Santa's workshop was already full of noise.

Guardians usually had a place of their own, like Bunny's Easter Island or Tooth's Tooth Castle, but Jack had not yet found a place he could call home so until he found a place he could settle in, North let him to sleep on his couch.

Still drowsy, Jack opened North's office door when suddenly instinct told him to duck. He did and sure enough, a toy plane flew over his head and would have surely collided with him if he didn't. A yeti chased the toy plane and caught it from midair.

All around him, yetis were busy with the production work, hammering, crafting and tinkering. Even the elves (although didn't provide much help) were preoccupied too. Among them, Jack finally found North. He was supervising and shouting commands left and right. North finally noticed Jack and beckoned him to come.

The big man looked so haggard. His beard and hair were a mess and there were dark circles around his eyes. "Freeloader," he said, voice croaking, "You're finally up. Here, grab a brush and start helping." He shoved a wooden horse miniature and a brush to Jack's hand.

"What time did you wake up, North?" Jack asked as North pushed his back and made him walk to a mound covered by a tarp.

"Erhm… I don't remember."

"Have you slept at all?" Jack turned and raised an eyebrow at North.

North blink. "No, but no matter! Christmas awaits and we still have many things to do."

"For a childhood idol, you're not setting a pretty good example."

"What the children don't know won't hurt them." He pulled the tarp to reveal a mountain of similar miniature.

Jack mouth gaped open. "I have to finish all these!?"

"This is much better than whatever you're planning on doing today," said North walking away.

"It would take me days to finish them."

"Then better start working," North raised a finger with his back turned, "oh and paint it red!"

Jack groaned and grabbed a bucket of paint. He began coloring the horses and throwing the finished product in another pile. It was after a good an hour that Jack finally noticed something strange. He had expected North would come over and checked his work but when he finally lifted his head from his dull task, North wasn't around.

Jack stood up and walked toward North's office. He imagined North inside, sleeping but when he opened the door, the room was empty. "Has anybody seen North?" Jack shouted to the yetis. They stopped whatever they were doing, shrugged and returned to work. It was not that North wasn't allowed to go anywhere but Jack thought that if North would go out of his workshop, he would at least tell him. Well, Jack hadn't checked the globe room so he went there.

Just before he opened the door, he heard muffled voiced of people talking. He put an ear on the door and listened.

"…getting worse! People are getting scared! It's exactly what Pitch would want," said a familiar voice.

"Let's not be too hasty with our judgment." This time it was a female.

"He was here the entire time," said another voice that Jack clearly recognized as North's.

"You wouldn't know that! You were busy with all your Christmas preparation. He could've snuck out under your nose and you wouldn't notice. Look how worn out you are right now," said the first voice again. There was a moment of silence before the first person spoke again. "Yeah, you're not helping Sandy."

Sandy?

Jack opened the door and beheld Bunny, Toothiana, Sandy and North. They heard the sound of the door creaking open and all of them turned to Jack. They suddenly became very flustered.

"I didn't know you guys are coming over," said Jack.

All of them exchanged secret looks before Tooth answered Jack. "Jack, it's so good to see you." She grinned too widely to pass as normal.

"Then why you don't sound like you're happy to see me?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing here, Jack?" North asked as if trying to divert Jack's attention.

"You weren't coming over to check on my work. Should I paint it all the horses red?"

"It doesn't matter," North rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "It's just a fake job to keep you here anyway." North covered his mouth realized what just slipped from his lips. The other guardians glared at him.

"What? Why?"

None of them talked and they shared those secret looks again. Nobody seemed to want to tell him the reason. It was Bunny that finally broke the silence. "Look, the egg is out of the shell. Let's just tell him."

North cleared his throat and said, "Alright then." He began ordering all the yetis and elves to get out of the room so only the five of them were left. "Jack we're all here because we care about you and in no way meant to alienate you."

"We want you to know what's best for you," added Tooth.

"What are you guys talking about?" Jack was befuddled.

"This is an intervention, kid," said Bunny.

Jack was so shocked, he was pretty sure he took a step back. He tried to recall anything he did that would cause an intervention but he couldn't fathom any. Well, other than the early snow day in the end of November but hey, the kids loved it. At least, Jamie did. They wouldn't call for an intervention just for that, right?

"So who want to start first?" asked North.

Sandy eagerly raised his hand. Images started to float on his head but he couldn't put it all together in pieces and they ended up in a jumble. "Sandy, we've been through this. Not helping," said North. Sandy began to fume, literally as sand fumed out of his ear. "Anybody else?"

"Let me," said Tooth, stepping up. "Jack, there is a limit to everything, even the little things such as pranks or games."

"We've wanted to say this since the past decade now but you were… a spirit. We can't really control what a spirit does, but you're a guardian now. It's time to stop the pranks," said North.

"What are you trying to say?" Jack furrowed his brow.

"Your mischief is starting to scare people. That's what we've been trying to say," said Bunny.

"Really? Seriously?" asked Jack sardonically, "snow day and winter is scaring people?"

"No, but avalanches and blizzards are!" Bunny raised his tone and pointed at Jack with his boomerang. "Do you even know the degree of damage you make? Do you have what it takes to be a guardian, a responsible guardian?"

"I don't know what you're accusing me of," Jack began to feel offended and raised his tone as well, "but I've done nothing wrong!"

"Oh yeah? Well, the people near the North Mountain certainly don't feel that they haven't been wronged."

"What?" Jack shook his head, confused and angry at the same time. "The last time I've been to the North Mountain was more than two-hundred years ago."

"You… haven't been there?" Bunny stammered.

"No."

"Then those avalanches and blizzards were not your doing?" asked North.

"No!"

"Then if it's not you…" Tooth interposed, "…then who?"

"I don't know." Again, they shared a look among each other. "This entire ruckus is because you thought I was harming people?"

"Well, you must understand, Jack. There is… or was nobody other than you that have ice power," North scratched his head guiltily.

"So you just assumed it was me?! Have it crossed your mind to oh, I don't know, check with me first before setting up a goddamned intervention?" Jack threw his arms out in frustration. He walked away toward North's office, taking long strides as he went, venting his anger at every step he made.

"Jack, wait! Where are you going?" The other guardians followed him behind his trail.

"Ten years and nobody asked!" Jack grumbled along the way. He went inside North's office, grabbed his forgotten staff and opened the window. "You want to stop the blizzards right?" Jack turned to them, the tone of his voice clearly sounded like he was irritated. "Then I'll go and find out. At least one of us should know how to find a culprit properly." Jack jumped out of the window and called the wind to take him to the North Mountain.

Jack was set to the North Mountain but his mind was elsewhere. He still couldn't comprehend how for ten years nobody bothered to check who was the real culprit rather than assuming he was the one who did it. Granted he was the spirit of winter, but still.

Now who could have done it? As far as Jack remembered, he was the only ice spirit around. If the mischief started ten years ago, perhaps it was a rather new spirit. Well, there was no use thinking who could it be when Jack was going there, ready to yell at whoever did it.

Jack had forgotten how long he had flown when the North Mountain peak appeared before his eyes, but it was already night time. Memory of a certain girl he had long forgotten resurfaced and his eyes unconsciously were searching for the ruins that were left of her once beautiful castle. However, just before his eyes could focus on anything, a huge blizzard began to buffet him. He raised his staff, willing the blizzard to stop but it wouldn't listen. Was it because it wasn't his blizzard, he couldn't control it?

He braved through the blizzard, half-flying half-plummeting around, while his eyes were wandering, searching for something, somewhere that could cause the snowstorm. Then, he found what he was looking for – a pristine mansion of ice right at the top of the mountain. He landed in front of the doorstep and the blizzard stopped. As he gaze upon it, a sense of familiarity overwhelmed him. Elsa, that was her name, the girl he had tried so hard to forget, the girl whom he 'cursed'. But it couldn't be her, could it? It was more than 200 years ago since last Jack saw her and no normal human being could live past that.

Gulping, he touched the door. He was afraid that it was truly Elsa on the other side. For more than 200 years, he had been convinced that Elsa didn't need his help at all, but if she was still here, alive and causing so much harm to other people because of her lack of control over her power… wait… didn't Elsa finally learned to control her power?

Jack was about to open the door when suddenly from the ground behind him a hulking snow giant roared at him. He jumped in shock took a step back away from the giant while it approached menacingly. "Leave!" the giant howled. Jack remembered this giant. It was the same one that protected Elsa when the men from Arendelle tried to apprehend her. If that thing was here then truly it was none other than Elsa inside the mansion.

Jack's back was touching the door, cornered. His hands fumbled from the door knob and when he found it, he quickly twisted it open and fell inside. The giant reached for him but before it could grab him, Jack scrambled up and closed the door. The giant's large hand battered against the door but Jack used his own weight to hold it shut. After awhile the giant finally gave up and Jack sighed in relief.

"Who's there?" asked a voice which was clearly wasn't a woman's. It was dark and with no illumination other than the moonlight passing through the ice roof, he couldn't see the speaker.

Jack heard the sound of something approaching and he readied his staff. Something appeared before him. It was a snowman. "You were there… that day…" Jack whispered.

"Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" said the snowman.

"You can see me?" Jack asked.

"Am… I not supposed to see you?" with his stick hand he began slapping Jack's thigh. "You're not a ghost. What's your name?"

"It's Jack, Jack Overland Frost," he said with a little chuckle. He was amused at himself for making a conversation with a snowman.

"As in 'Jack Frost nips at your nose' Jack Frost?"

"As in Jack Frost, Guardian of Fun too." Jack conjured a small snowflake and let it fall on Olaf's carrot nose. "The giant out there, he's your friend?"

"You mean Marshmallow? Yeah, he's a pretty cool guy, isn't he?" Olaf said brimming. "What brings you here, Jack?"

"Well, recent reports said lately it has not been 'fun' around here so I come to check things up."

"Ooh… ooh… I know someone who needs a little bit of fun!" Olaf grabbed Jack's hand and began dragging him across the mansion. He pulled him up the stairs and across the hall to the door of a room at the end of the hall. "Wait here until I tell her the good news." Olaf began turning the knob before he glanced at Jack. "Oh, her name is Elsa."

Olaf entered the room and left one of the double doors open while Jack waited outside, obscured by the closed one. Jack could feel his heart thumping rapidly and his foot tapping the ground restlessly.

"Elsa!" Jack heard Olaf's faint voice. "There's a friend I'd like you to meet."

"Is it another one of your snowman friend you'd like me to bring to life?" Elsa giggled. Jack clenched his chest. Did his heart just skip a beat?

"No, it's way better! Come on, he's waiting outside.

Jack heard the scuffling of feet approaching and suddenly he became even more nervous. He hadn't seen here for more than 200 years now. How would she look like now? Her voice hadn't cracked like an old woman should so she must be still at her prime.

The footsteps were getting nearer and Jack shifted his weight to another leg. Did he imagine it or his hand just trembled? By North's magnificent beard why did he have to act like those teenage boys who were about to take their date to the prom? He tried to redirect his thoughts to other things and began thinking about the many things he wanted to ask about Elsa. It was then his mind stopped at one simple, crucial question. At the same time, Elsa poked out of the open door, still as beautiful as the day he left her. She stared at where Jack was and was taken aback, and Jack unconsciously voiced his thought, "Can you see me?"

"Olaf, stay back!" She took a few steps back. One of her hands was aimed at jack the other taking a defensive stance in front of Olaf. Seeing Elsa so frightened, Jack forgotten all of his anxiety.

"No, Elsa, this is the friend I told you about. He's here to bring fun!"

Elsa glanced at Olaf and back at Jack, "I don't care what you bring and I don't know how you get past Marshmallow but I suggest you leave." Jack suddenly snickered. "What's so funny!?"

Jack strode in, with staff slung at his shoulders and approached as non-threatening as possible. "I just can't follow your naming sense. You named one Olaf and the other Marshmallow. How did that happen?"

"I… I didn't name him. Olaf did." Elsa relaxed slightly and perhaps felt a little bit embarrassed too, judging by the faint pink that colored her cheeks. Jack gave himself a mental pat on the back for being able to divert the topic.

"Ah… That makes plenty more sense. Speaking of names, hi, my name is Jack Frost." He offered his hand for handshake.

Elsa reached for it when suddenly she remembered Jack was an intruder and tensed up again. "Nice try…" she shrunk behind and resumed her defensive stance.

"Can't blame a man for trying," Jack shrugged.

"What do you want? You'll find nothing here so be gone."

"I did find something here. I found you." Jack smiled. "I didn't know after all these times you're still here, alive."

"Alive? What are you talking about?" Elsa's brow furrowed. "I'm dead. I'm a spirit. Why do you talk as if you knew me before?" But Jack heard nothing more when Elsa said she was a spirit. That explained how she could see him but he was aghast. Did Manny resurrected her too or was it his power inside her that made her a lingering spirit? Before he had wanted Elsa to see him so badly and now she could but with that kind of price, it made Jack horrified at the damage he had done in Elsa's life.

"Why do you talk as if you knew me?" Elsa repeated again, her tone had edges in it.

"What happened? How did you die?" Jack stammered.

"I asked first. Answer my question and I might answer yours."

Jack grasped for his composure and answered her as calm and friendly as possible, "Of course I knew you, how would I not? I was…" It was at the tip of his tongue. He almost revealed that he was the one that gave her the 'curse'. He swallowed and redid his answer. "I was by your side since you were born until you came of age." Jack mustered a smile. "You were a great part of the earliest 21-years of my spirit life."

"You were…?"

"Yeah, but not in a creepy stalking kind of way, more like a good… fairy godfather way." Jack realized how weird he must have sound. He wished he could turn back and face-palmed himself.

Elsa seemed to be taking it all in for the moment when suddenly her eyes widened in recollection. "You were the one who was going to hurt me that night!" She swung her arm and hurled an ice bolt at Jack.

"What!?" Only in the last second, Jack managed to avoid her attack. "No, no, no, no I would never hurt you." Jack said as he tried to dodge a barrage of ice bolts thrown at him.

"I heard you said it!"

"Then you misheard!" Jack somersaulted behind as an ice spike jutted from the ground where he just stood. "I don't know how but you almost believed in me that day." But Elsa had turned a deaf ear at Jack's pleas. "Fine, if this will make you happy." Jack suddenly stopped dodging and an ice bolt flew straight at him. He closed his eyes, ready to take the hit.

"Elsa, stop!" Olaf shouted to Elsa.

Jack opened his eyes to see the ice bolt stopped in mid air and Elsa clutched her own hand. "Why did you stop dodging? Why didn't you fight back?"

"I'll say this again and as many times as you need me to. I won't hurt you, never would never will and if you still don't trust me…" Jack crouched down and Elsa flinched. Jack made a gesture for her to relax. He put his staff on the ground and slid it across the floor to Elsa's feet. "That thing is the conduit of my power. I'm near powerless without it. Why don't you hold on to it? Here, tie my wrists too if you still don't believe me."

"No, it's okay. This is enough," Elsa bent down and picked up the staff. At first, she held it warily but then accepted it as a thing with no threat if not held by Jack. "You asked how I died," Elsa said in careful voice.

"If I may know," Jack said as careful as she was.

Elsa turned to the snowman that stood by her leg. Olaf seemed confused and lost at how to react at everything that just transpired. "Olaf, would you mind playing with Marshmallow for a bit?"

"Sure." Olaf walked toward the door and when he passed by Jack he whispered. "She's a nice girl, really. Please don't be afraid of her."

"There's nothing to be afraid of here, Olaf," Jack smiled at the snowman. Olaf's face lightened up and he left the two alone rather cheerfully.

Olaf closed the door and Elsa turned to Jack again. "Do you mind if I ask you one more question before I answer yours?"

"Sure."

"Who are you, really? If what you said is true, why did you concern yourself over me?"

Smiling, Jack gestured Elsa to come closer and she cautiously did while standing a few feet apart for safe measures. Jack opened his palm and then a snowflake appeared, hovering over his palm in circle. "Because I'm the same as you, Elsa and I want to help you."

"Help me? Oh, wait I'm sorry. It's my turn to answer."

"No, it's alright. Let's clarify all your doubts, shall we? I want to help teach you how to control your power."

"You can do that?"

"Of course, but then you found control by yourself, didn't you? Love, wasn't it?"

She walked away with downcast eyes, squeezing Jack's staff tightly. "How can I use love to control my power if there's nothing left for me to love? The only source of love I have is long dead."

"Are you talking about Anna?"

"You knew Anna too?" She looked at him with hopeful eyes. "How was she?"

"I'm sorry but I don't know. I left Arendelle when I thought you finally achieved control and never returned."

"I see," She was clearly disappointed.

"So, I take it you woke up ten years ago and have been here since?"

"It's eerie how you know so much about me, even the exact time I woke up." Elsa smiled faintly.

"That one I just knew today. The other guardians told me."

"They did?"

"Well, not exactly about you." Jack scratched his head.

"Then what exactly did they say?" Elsa asked but Jack avoided her gaze. Elsa titled her head, waiting.

Jack sighed. If he wanted to get through Elsa's barrier, the least he could do was to speak truthfully. "They told me about the blizzard and avalanches around this area that's been going on for ten years and they thought I did it."

"You're here to stop me," Elsa gasped.

"No, no, no, no." Jack reconsidered. "Yes, but only at first. Now that I know it's you, I want to help. I know you didn't do it on purpose."

"No, but you have to stop me, please." Elsa shoved Jack's staff back to his hands.

"You want to be stopped?" Jack asked, receiving his staff with bewilderment.

"Of course. I don't want to hurt other people."

"I can teach you to control your power, Elsa. Don't you want to control it?" How many times had he been saying that now? Would Elsa just accept his offer?

"What I want is to be freed from this curse." Jack grimaced. "Why do you… oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, Jack. Our powers are alike but they're just not the same."

_Of course they are. Your power came from me_, Jack thought dejectedly. "I don't know how to stop you or break the 'curse'." He could taste the bitterness at the back of his tongue as he said the word. "What I can do is teach you how to harness your power, but I'm not going to force you if you don't want to. Think about it, sleep on it. I'll come back tomorrow for your answer, if that's okay?"

Elsa sighed. "Okay," she finally said.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, Elsa." Jack turned to go when he heard Elsa called his name. "Yes?"

"About how I died…" Jack watched her as she shuffled uneasily. "At the sea during a diplomatic mission, just like how my parents met their demise."

"Thank you for telling me." Jack smiled with genuine gratitude. Elsa nodded smiled back at him, albeit rather hesitantly. Oh how Jack wanted to protect that smile.

* * *

><p><strong>It's 6:48 in the morning here in my country. I pulled an all-nighter for this chapter (lol)<br>**

**Sorry for the long waiting period, I've been busy.**

**No, I lied. A World of Warcraft private server had just opened a new Mist of Pandaria server so I've been busy there, among other things :P**

**I promised though this fanfic is far from neglected.**

**Hope you enjoy it. Look forward for the next one :)**


	5. Snowflake

Jack flew as fast as the wind would carry him back to North's workshop. His heart was giddy with happiness and he couldn't wait to tell the other guardians about Elsa. He flew all night and only arriving to his destination hours after dawn.

"North!" Jack called out with excitement even if he was still outside the workshop. He saw North sleeping in his office and pushed open the window. "North wake up!" in his excitement, Jack didn't watch where he was going and stumbled upon the windowsill. He went tumbling in, crashing with North's desk and roused North from his slumber because of the commotion.

"What… who… is Christmas here already?" North jumped.

"North it's me," Jack brushing dust off his sweater.

The office door was thrown open and in came the other three guardians. "North! Are you alright?" Bunny exclaimed, "What… oh, it's you Jack. Well? Have you found out who is it? Should we pay him a visit now?" Bunny smashed his fist to his palm.

"Yes, I have and there will be no visiting required," Jack turned to North. "North, it's Elsa."

The other three guardians were befuddled but North eyes glinted. "_Your_ Elsa?"

"Yes, as it turns out, she became a spirit!" Jack was bubbling.

"Elsa's a spirit?" North eyes widened with astonishment.

"Yeah! I don't know how but she is. She just woke up ten years ago and been living in the North Mountain ever since! And she can see me now!"

"And she has ice power?"

"Yes! Just like when she was still alive!"

"Can somebody please tell us what's going on?" Tooth interjected.

North and Jack stopped their conversation, finally realizing they were leaving the other guardians out of it. North cleared his throat and signaled toward Jack with his eyes. "It's your story, Jack."

Jack was hesitant at first but after much consideration, he decided it was about time to come clean. So Jack told them everything, about the baby he visited and how the visit turned out so bad, how he watched over that baby grew up and struggled for control over her power and ended up in isolation. He told them about the coronation day and how it went horribly wrong and how she finally achieved that control she had so long fought for.

"You gave a baby your power!?" Bunny stared in disbelief. "Guardians are supposed to protect children, mate, not ruined their childhood. We have Pitch for that!"

"It was more than two centuries ago, Bunny. I didn't even know the extent of my power."

"I was right about you not being a guardian material."

"I thought we're over this, _mate_." Jack snarled.

"We shouldn't have initiated you in the first place."

"Sorry, position's already taken." Bunny and Jack glared at each other so intensely, the spectators probably able to see lightning crossed between them.

"You wanna go, mate?"

"Think you can handle me?"

"The real question is, can you?"

They almost jumped at each other when Sandy used his sand whip to pull the two apart and throw them to different ends of the room.

"Can you guys for once be civil?" Tooth said exasperatedly.

"I can," Jack said while standing up. "I can't say the same about the kangaroo."

"Why you little twat…" Bunny started to charge toward Jack again but Sandy held him back.

"Enough! Can't we focus on the issue at hand!?" North voice boomed inside the room. "People are dying here."

"What?" Jack couldn't believe his ears. "What are you…"

"Two deaths and many wounded, still counting to this day if the catastrophe doesn't stop," said Bunny almost spitting the words out. "Now you see why I'm so riled up."

"When were you going to start to tell me everything? If you have told me earlier I could…"

"Could what? Resurrect the dead?"

Jack swallowed his anger and answered calmly, "I could teach Elsa how to control her power sooner and there wouldn't be anyone who died. She doesn't want to hurt anyone. I know she doesn't. I think she's even oblivious to the damage she has done." Jack looked at each of the guardians, hoping that they could see his conviction in his eyes. "Look, let me have the chance to redeem myself, to Elsa and to all the people that, in a way I've hurt."

"And what if you fail? What if she couldn't learn? What if she _doesn't_ want to?" asked Bunny.

Jack didn't know how Bunny could correctly arrive to the conclusion that Elsa hadn't exactly accepted his tutoring offer. He didn't confirm nor deny anything, since he didn't want to accept the possibility that all what Bunny had said could be true.

All the guardians were staring at him, waiting for him to answer and Jack just stood there dumbfounded. It was North who saved him. "Let Jack tries first. In the meantime, we will figure out a backup solution."

"Even if it means we have to address this matter like how we addressed Pitch?" asked Bunny. The other guardians looked at him like he was mad. "What? If she keeps hurting people even if unintentionally, she has to be stopped." Bunny crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Let's save that for the very, very last resort," said Tooth. "Maybe we can find a way to take back her power? Jack gave it so Jack should be able to take it again."

"I don't know if it could be that simple and what of the consequences?" asked Jack.

"We can find out more about it later," said North as he placed a hand upon Jack's shoulder. "Right now, you should sleep if you want to see her today."

"Sleep? I can't sleep! Do you know how long it takes me to fly there and back here?"

"We know. We can see how much it took its toll on you," said North. Jack did look exhausted but excitement had covered it up so Jack couldn't feel it at all. Now that the adrenaline was gone, he noticed he swayed where he stood.

"But if I don't go now…"

"Rest easy my friend. Transport matters not if you're friends with the Santa Claus." North pushed Jack toward the sofa he usually used. Too weak to fight back, he obliged. The four of them left the room. "Good night, Jack."

"What if I can't sleep?" But the last thing Jack saw was Sandy's dream sand smacking him on his face and Jack slept.

* * *

><p>Jack didn't know for how long he had slept but he had made a mental alarm to wake up within the same day. Jack woke up with a jump and the first thing he checked was the time. He saw it was only hours after noon and sighed in relief. In the corner of his eyes, he saw something glinted, reflecting the ray of the golden sun. On North's work desk there were two snow globes wrapped in ribbon and a note saying 'One to go and one to return'. Jack smiled, grabbed both the snow globes and put them inside his sweater pocket. He grabbed his staff and went out of the office to see North how he usually was, supervising the toys production. He rushed to the burly man and gave him a bear hug.<p>

"Thank you, North."

"You're welcome. Off you go now."

Jack let North get back to his work and went to the globe room so he wouldn't disrupt the yetis. "North Mountain," Jack said to the globe and threw it, opening a portal. He stepped in and once more beheld Elsa's mansion. Suddenly, he remembered he had forgotten something and in that moment Marshmallow appeared in front of him.

"I told you to LEAAAVVVVEEEE!" Marshmallow roared.

Last night he had left Elsa's mansion through the window, not wanting to meet the ice giant again. Elsa must have forgotten to tell Marshmallow that he was cleared to pass. _Or Elsa didn't want me to return_, Jack sadly though. As if to clear Jack's doubt, Elsa stormed out of the mansion.

"Marshmallow, he's okay!" she shouted to the giant. Marshmallow glanced at Elsa and shrunk, becoming a snow mound again. "I'm sorry. I forgot to tell Marshmallow."

Jack snickered and Elsa pouted. "I told you I'm not the one who named him."

"Still funny," Jack said.

"Is this how you're going to treat your apprentice?" Elsa put her hands on her hips and mocked anger.

"You're accepting my offer…?" Jack said, more of a statement rather than a question.

"I thought hard about it and yes. If I have to live with this curse, at least I should be able to truly control it." She managed a shy grin.

Jack cringed inside when Elsa said the 'c' word again but he let it passed. "Should we take it inside or…"

"Inside, please! At least if I lost control again I won't hurt anyone."

"You won't hurt anyone as long as I'm here, Elsa."

Elsa weakly smiled and led the way inside her mansion. "I've prepared a room that would contain my power if… you know. It's right this way." She opened a door a reveled a big chamber. There was no window or any other decorations inside. It was just a bare open space.

"This is really not necessary."

"Just for precaution," said Elsa meekly. "So, let's start the training. What should I do?"

"Easy there on the enthusiasm," Jack said although he was equally excited. "Let's start slow. I've shown you this before." Jack opened his palm and crated a perfect pristine little snowflake.

"Really, Jack? I think I can do more than that."

"Just give it a shot."

Elsa opened her palm too and conjured a snowflake. She jumped, shocked at the result. Her snowflake wasn't perfect like Jack's. It was rough and jagged and it wasn't even a whole snowflake. Half of it was chipped. She crushed it and tried again but the result wasn't improving. "But, I'm sure I did it before." She looked up at Jack. "You saw it right, Jack? When I was still alive I could make a giant snowflake, no trouble."

"And when you did, do you remember what caused it?"

"Anna…" Elsa hugged herself, shielding from the surge of memories.

"Specifically, it's because of your love for Anna and for Arendelle and your people. You see, our power follows the state of our emotion. Happiness, love, excitement and all the positive emotions make our power less harmful and more… fun, while all the negative emotions are disrupting our hold of it.

"That snowflake is the embodiment of your emotion. If you truly want to control your power, the only way to do it is by embracing your power. Stop being haunted by it and start accepting that your power is a part of you."

"How?" Elsa searched Jack's eyes, hoping to find an answer. "I've hurt so many people with it, with this curse."

"You can start by stop calling it a curse and stop beating yourself up for the things that happened in the past." Elsa shied away from him. She had let her past haunted her for her whole life and for her to let go was harder than she or Jack expected. "Do you remember when you were a kid?"

"You mean when I struck Anna?"

"_Before_ you struck her," Jack wouldn't let Elsa slip away to depression again, "you were able to control your power perfectly. Don't deny it, I know what I saw. You use your power to bring happiness for your sister. In that moment you were at your peak of control. That little Elsa probably could achieve more than what you can now."

"But then I messed up, Jack."

"It was just one little slip, stop blaming yourself over it. If anything, I blamed your parents."

Elsa glared at Jack, "You have no right! They tried all they could to help me."

"They tried all they _could_ but it was not what they _should_ have done. They took the first wrong step when they decided isolating you was the best decision. Look what that isolation made you."

"I could've hurt more than just Anna if I wasn't confined to my room and I did. Remember coronation day?"

"Or you could've control it perfectly if they let you be happy and not fear your own power. All those mess happened because of fear, your fear of your own power, your fear of others perception of you, your fear of ever hurting someone. Fear found you that night you struck Anna and you've been dancing on his palm ever since."

"So what do you suggest I do now?"

"You've been concealing your feeling long enough. Why don't you let it go, now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Let it all out. What you wanted to say, what you wanted to do, everything. You've been too reserved in the idea of 'being a good girl, don't ask question, just do what I'm told' for far too long."

"I don't think that's a good idea. What if my cur… power went berserk again?"

"You can't hurt anyone in here." Elsa was still hesitant. She looked so small and fragile in that moment Jack wanted to do nothing but to help her. He couldn't though. This battle was one Elsa had to face alone. "Come on. Let's hear it. You can start easy. How about Anna? How you feel toward her all these times?"

"I missed Anna." Elsa looked up at Jack. "I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to play with her."

"There you go. Come on, there's more to it."

"I know my parents thought it was best to confine me but I… I hated it." Elsa searched her heart, trying to dig everything she had never told anyone. "I always thought what if instead trying to do this alone, we go back to the trolls and asked them to tutor me. They're mystical creatures. That Grand Pabbie must have had a way to help me," Elsa began pacing, "but no! Conceal! I have to show no feeling. I'm not a doll! I'm a human being." A blizzard began swirling with Elsa at its center. Jack let it be. Elsa needed this release. Secretly, he created a gale that circled the room to contain the blizzard so it wouldn't escape the room.

"But I was just a kid! A princess moreover! I couldn't be selfish! I have to think what was best for everyone, for Arendelle! Well, what about me? Did my parents think I was a monster that must be caged?!" The room began to crack and Jack used his own ice to cover the gap. Elsa stopped and turned to Jack so abruptly, Jack almost slipped and tore open a crack. "I missed it all, Jack. All the sister to sister moment I could have had with Anna. Anna's birthdays, my birthdays, I missed them all. All I have for my birthday was a private celebration with my parents. I couldn't share it with Anna.

"And Anna, oh sweet Anna. Every day, she would knock on my room and how badly I want to open that door. I could have but I didn't, just to comply with my parents wishes. It hurt me that I have to shut her away. Those knocks were the only contact I had with Anna. I was so touched when years after years she didn't give up.

"Eventually, the knocking stopped and I was crushed. I didn't know what I expected. Of course eventually she would give up." Elsa looked so wounded that Jack couldn't help but to look at her with pity. A trail of tears streamed down her face but she quickly wiped it away, not wanting her vulnerability took over. Jack wanted to hold her, embraced and told her it was okay but he was afraid that Elsa would push him away.

"Then one day Anna knocked again to tell me our parents had perished and still I couldn't bring myself to open that door. Arendelle needed me, Anna needed me but I couldn't do anything. I had been angry at my parents for their decisions but at the same time, I was lost. I…" Elsa stammered and like an open dam, tears began to flow uncontrollably. Jack forgotten his conviction and rushed to her, enveloping her with his arms and stroked her hair gently. Elsa cried on his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Jack… I tried…"

"It's okay. You did well." Jack let Elsa cried some more. He wanted to say more to cheer her up but he found words had escaped his lips. He knew more than anyone he didn't have any right to console her. He was the one who had been most at fault. He was the one who ripped away Elsa's childhood. He tightened his embrace, wondering, hoping if she would forgive him if the knowledge dawned on her.

After awhile Elsa shoulders stopped shaking and her cry turned to a paced sob. She pushed him away gently and Jack let go, although not completely - his arms still hovering around Elsa. She avoided Jack's worried glance and chose to distract herself by looking around the room. Suddenly, she noticed something. The room was in perfect condition but there was something in the walls. "The ice… some parts of it is not mine," Elsa looked at Jack.

"I told you. You won't hurt anyone as long as I'm around." Elsa managed a sheepish grin between her trails of tears. It was an ironic beauty in Jack's eyes. He hesitantly reached for her cheeks and when she didn't pull away, he wiped the traces of tears off her cheeks. "How do you feel?"

"I feel tricked. I didn't know part of the training was bawling my eyes out," said Elsa sarcastically. Jack took it as a sign she was better and smiled. "I feel better. It's like a huge load is finally off my chest, although it's too late to fix anything."

"Shall we see it?"

"Hmm?"

"The snowflake."

Elsa opened her palm and willed a snowflake to appear. It began to shape and Jack peered for a closer look. The snowflake was not as pristine as his was but the shape was less rough now and it was a whole snowflake, a perfect six-fold radial symmetry. "It's a great improvement," Jack commented.

"It is." Elsa fixed her eyes on Jack's, elated and brimming with gratitude and accomplishment. It was in the moment Jack felt something he shouldn't had.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello there, it's been awhile.<br>**

**This one took longer than it was supposed to be, hope you're satisfied with the result ^w^**

**I finally put a cover picture, credits to Sakimichan.**

**That picture was the first one I ever saw of Jelsa and because of that picture it dawned on me Jack and Elsa would make a perfect couple.**

**Anyway...**

**Look forward to the next chapter**


	6. Snowball!

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jack," said Elsa as Jack opened the portal back to North Pole.

Jack turned around and was stunned. It had been a week since he first began training Elsa and this was the first time Elsa said that and actually meant it. Jack had felt the whole week Elsa had expected him to abandon her anytime soon. Now, she looked at him with longing eyes, expecting his return. He didn't think his heart could take it.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Elsa," said Jack and Elsa smile grew. Jack was so sure his heart just skipped a beat. Seconds later, Olaf came in the room, "and I'll see you tomorrow too, Olaf."

"See ya, Jack!"

Jack took slow steps backward into the portal while his eyes were still locked with Elsa's. Elsa too just stood there until finally Jack disappeared through the portal. Only when the portal closed, Elsa turned to the snowman beside her. "Right, let's get some rest, shall we?" She took Olaf's twig hand in hers and they went back to her chamber.

"I like him," said Olaf on the way.

"You like everyone, Olaf," Elsa chuckled.

"Yeah, but I like Jack as much as I like Kristoff."

"For a second I thought you were going to say as much as Anna."

"He's getting there. Aren't you going to ask why?"

Elsa decided to satisfy the snowman. "Okay, why?"

"Because he makes you smile again. You haven't done that in awhile."

Elsa stopped in her tracks. "I haven't…?"

"Usually you would just smile weakly or sadly, but now since Jack's helping you, you've been smiling genuinely. I can tell you're happy."

"I think that's the reason why, because Jack is helping me to control my power," but she wasn't sure was it his training or Jack himself that helped.

They arrived inside Elsa's room and Olaf went ahead to his own bed, one Elsa had made for him although she didn't know if snowmen need sleep (but Olaf seemed to enjoy lying around on it). Olaf sat on the bed and turned to Elsa. "I think he likes you."

"Who? Jack?"

"We're still talking about him, aren't we?"

"What makes you so sure?" Elsa cursed herself when she sensed she was flustering.

"The way he looks at you is similar to the way Kristoff looks at Anna."

Elsa was at a loss for words. She could feel her chest warmed at the notion and something fluttered inside her belly. Was she hoping for it? Elsa shook her head, dismissing the thought. It was too good to be true. "I'm sure you just imagined it. Good night, Olaf," she said while walking toward her own bed.

"Sweet dream, Elsa." Elsa glanced back and smiled, thinking it was Olaf who said it. But it wasn't.

* * *

><p><em>North Pole<em>

The portal was closing in front of him and Jack still was walking backwards, hoping he could still find traces of Elsa's image. When it was finally gone, Jack covered his face as he began to blush and muttered to himself, "This is bad…"

He went to his borrowed sofa and dropped himself on it. Jack was splayed on it and was staring at the ceiling. Suddenly, his mind drifted to Elsa and colors return to his cheeks. He covered his face again. "This is bad… this is bad…"

"What is bad?" North asked.

Jack jumped from the sofa and saw North watching him with a raised eyebrow from behind his working desk. There was a car track carved from ice on his desk and he was in the middle of carving the little cars. "How long have you been there?"

"Since you came out of the portal. What is bad?"

"Nothing." The blush had crept to his neck.

"You know you can't say 'nothing' if it's about Elsa. People's lives are at stake here."

"Elsa is fine. It's not about her," Jack scratched the nape of his neck. "It's just that… I think I might… like her?" North just nodded his acknowledgement and went back to his carving. "Wait, why you aren't surprised?"

"I'm surprised that you're surprised. Isn't that why you've been so eager to help her all these times?"

"Well no… I mean maybe… I mean… yes?" _Why is it so confusing? It's my own feeling!_ Jack paced and scratched his head in frustration. "At first I was doing it because I feel guilty for giving her my power, but now I keep finding myself not doing it for redemption anymore. I think I just want to make her happy."

"Well then, seems like I've seen it coming."

"It's not against the Guardian's Code right?" Jack asked carefully.

"As long as the children are still your priority." North put down his ice pick and hammer and looked at Jack. "You haven't forgotten about the children, have you?"

Jack bit his lower lip and winced. He knew North had asked because that was exactly what Jack had done, neglecting his duty as a guardian. There hadn't been snow day for the whole week and it was already mid-December. He was too preoccupied with training Elsa, he had not made time for the children. "Look, I'm sorry. I'll do it tomorrow. Just let me tell Elsa I couldn't train her tomorrow first."

Jack lay down on the sofa and tried to get some sleep. "You can always get a helper if it's too much for you," he heard North said before he dozed off. "We all have some. Like my yetis, Tooth's fairies, Bunny's warrior eggs or Sandy's… sand." Jack's last thought before he slipped to darkness was Marshmallow helping with snow day would not sit well with children.

Hours later, Jack could feel somebody shook him awake. "Wake up you lazy bum," he heard a voice said. Drowsily, he opened his eyes and beheld a pooka's face merely inches in front of him.

"Whoaaa!" Jack was so shocked he accidentally summoned his wind to blast the pooka away. The pooka went spiraling across the room and slammed against the wall.

"What did you do that for, mate?" Bunny groaned and stretched his back.

"What are you shoving your face in front of mine for? Sorry but I have no interest in you," Jack pretended to shudder.

"Laugh all you want, kid, but you better get your arse back to North Mountain ASAP."

"What now?"

"The people in the nearby village are on a sticky wicket, again! What have you been doing for the whole week at the North Mountain, mate?"

"I'm training Elsa and she's doing well! Are you sure it's Elsa and not just a natural cause?"

"I think it's better if you go and check up on her," said North while procuring two snow globes. Without wasting a breath, Jack quickly grabbed them and opened the portal. He went in just as fast, without a moment of hesitation, without even looking back.

"Oy, the kid is far gone." Bunny shook his head.

"You noticed too, eh?"

"It's as plain as the nose on your face. Just hope the kid doesn't make a galah of himself."

Jack could feel something amiss the moment he stepped out of the portal. The atmosphere around Elsa's mansion was rather unpleasant. As if to confirm everything, Olaf was already waiting outside for Jack, sitting beside the mound of snow that was Marshmallow. When the snowman saw Jack, it rushed to him. "Jack! Finally, you're here! Something's wrong with Elsa, but she wouldn't talk to me."

Jack patted the snowman's head and mustered a smile. "I'll see what I can do." He went inside the mansion and directly head to Elsa's room. Along the way, Olaf had explained the situation. Elsa had woken up with a start and had been unmoving ever since. Olaf had tried to talk to her but it was as if she had shut the world out.

Inside Elsa's bedchamber, Jack saw Elsa still sitting on her bed while hugging her knees. He approached her carefully and seeing the state she was in, he was at a loss at what to do. "Elsa?" he tried to call her.

Elsa lifted her head and looked straight pass Jack. She looked so haggard and so full of despair and (did Jack imagined it?) anger. "Is it true, Jack?" she asked while still not looking at him, "I killed someone?"

Jack just stood there dumbfounded, torn between wanting to spare Elsa the hard truth or telling her and be honest. "Answer me, Jack!" Elsa demanded, her tone rising. Jack was briefly buffeted by a small blizzard but Elsa quickly regained control over her power.

"How do you know of it?" Jack asked with downcast eyes.

"I had a dream… a nightmare to be exact. I saw a village with its residents buried under an avalanche and there was a girl, observing the whole thing with cold eyes." She looked away, troubled. "It was… me."

"It was just a nightmare."

"But it was right, wasn't it? If not you wouldn't divert the topic like this," Elsa narrowed her eyes accusingly. "The first time we met, you just said I caused some disaster but you didn't tell me the whole story, didn't you?" Jack averted his gaze but it was answer enough for Elsa. "How many people died, Jack?"

Jack was ready to stall but her power began to seep out off her. "Two and many wounded," Jack replied quickly. Elsa was horrified, but angry too that Jack had kept it from her all these times. "It's not that I don't want to tell you. The other guardians just told me after our encounter and I haven't said anything ever since because…"

"…you're scared that I can handle the truth?" Elsa finished for him, silencing Jack. "How many more must die before I can control my power?"

Jack just sat beside her. There was nothing he could say. There was no right answer to that question. He saw Elsa sighed in defeat. She couldn't even bring herself to cry. This was a battle Elsa had fought for many years and so far, lost. She was bereft of everything but exhaustion and despair. Jack could only watch as she wallowed in self-loathe. He hated himself for being so impotent. He had thought if anyone could help Elsa, it would be him. As it turned out, reality loved to make mockery out of him. And the other guardians expected him to leave Elsa for the children when she was like this?

Jack blinked. An idea suddenly passed his mind. He didn't have to leave Elsa and he didn't have to neglect his duties as a guardian. There was a way he could do both. Jack stood up and offered his hand to Elsa. "Come with me," he said.

"Jack, I'm not in the mood for…"

"Trust me."

Elsa eyed Jack and she saw a mysterious glint in his eyes. That smirk, that confidence and just like that, her mind was made up and she took his hand. No, she even took it first before she made up her mind. Still holding her hand, Jack reached for his sweater pocked with his other hand and retrieved the snow globe. "Are you taking me to the North Pole?" Elsa asked. Jack didn't answer but his smirk was still plastered on his face. He threw the snow globe and opened the portal. "Jack…"

"Take a leap of faith," he simply replied. Gulping, Elsa followed Jack through the portal. As the portal shifted around her, Elsa closed her eyes tightly. Then, she felt a gentle nudge on her arm. "It's okay. You can open your eyes," she heard Jack said.

Elsa did and wondered why what she saw didn't match what she expected to see. She had expected snow covered fields as far as eyes could see and maybe the workshop of the man of December himself. Instead, all around her she saw houses, plural. At first she thought Jack had brought her to the village she had destroyed but this residential area looked perfectly fine, and too modern to be a village. The town too looked unscathed from her power. There was barely snow matting the ground. Elsa too saw people, residents of the town, just casually doing their daily activity here and there.

"Welcome to Burgess," Jack twirl around and spread his arms wide open, "my hometown."

"Why do you bring me here?"

"To show you what our power is truly capable of." Jack lifted his staff above his head and spun it before striking it butt first to the ground. His power flowed from him and travelled around the town and to the sky. Almost like magic, everyone began looking up as the first snowfall descended and the ground began to be covered by snow. Elsa saw a couple who leaned closer at each other as they enjoy the view. She saw a little kid with his dog and they both jumped around with excitement. She saw people inside the house peering out from their window, watching the scenery. Elsa saw them smiled. Everyone was happy.

"Damn it, now your mom will tell me to shovel the snow tomorrow," they heard a passerby said. He was a middle-aged man and he was carrying some groceries. Beside him was a teenager, carrying the same thing.

"Don't worry, dad. I'll help you," said his kid. They both exchanged smiles and went on their way.

Elsa brought her hand to her lips. She didn't thought it was possible that a power much like hers could bring joy to other people and could bring them together. "Jack…" she breathed.

"This is not even the best part." Jack said as he squatted down and braced himself. As if summoned, a group of kids, four boys and three girls darted toward them. The boys began throwing themselves at Jack and he fell to the snow with them.

Jack, half grunted and half laughing, said to them. "It's good to see you too, but do you mind getting off me before I died."

They all laughed and began disassembling themselves from Jack. "You can't die, Jack. You're a spirit," said one of them, a boy with brown hair and brown eyes. "I thought you have forgotten about us."

"Forgot!? How could I?" Jack ruffled the boy's hair.

"Snow, snow, snow!" A girl with a long blonde hair and emerald eyes hopped around them. She was apparently younger than the rest of the group.

"I see Sophie's playing with you now, eh Jamie."

"Mom asked me to take care of her," said Jamie seemingly annoyed.

"Hey, that's what big brothers do, you know, taking care of their little sister." Jack punched Jamie's arm lightly and they giggled.

"They can see you?" Elsa was quiet all the while, amazed and she couldn't contain herself any longer to let the words out.

Jack turned to Elsa and said, "They're my first believers."

"Who are you talking to, Jack?" asked Jamie.

Jack lowered himself and signaled the children to huddle. "Have you ever heard of the Snow Queen?"

"You mean the one that kidnapped Kai then Gerda came along to save him?" said a boy with blonde hair and red glasses.

"No, whoever wrote that version of the story is wrong," said Jack.

"Technically, there were Gerda and Kai in my castle, just that they were the castle attendants," said Elsa which made Jack chuckle.

Jack then began telling the kids Elsa's story, while cleverly leaving out all of his involvement, including when he gave her his power. He would often glance at Elsa to see how she would react whilst telling the story. He saw Elsa averted her gaze from time to time, either embarrassed someone knew of her life (she knew that Jack knew but hearing him telling it to other people was rather embarrassing) or she was pained by the memory. Although, Elsa would pay closer attention to the part where Anna was involved, just like the doting sister she was.

"… and thus the power of love made Elsa able to control her power and melt down the ice that covered Arendelle," Jack concluded his story. The kids were so absorbed they were watching Jack with wide eyes and didn't even budge.

"Wow, the Snow Queen is way cooler in this story," said a kid with a combed back black hair and brown eyes. His twin brother nodded his agreement beside him.

"And she's here," said Jack grinning. The kids jumped to their feet and began rambling disbelief and wanting to see Elsa.

"No, no, no… Jack don't." Elsa began to panic. With the damage she had done when people couldn't see her, what terrible things she would do if they could?

"You know what you got to do if you want to see her," said Jack, ignoring Elsa's complaint.

All at once, they closed their eyes without saying anything. When they opened them again, they weren't looking at Jack anymore but at Elsa. "Wow," they muttered altogether.

"Kids, meet Elsa," Jack strode toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Elsa, meet Jamie and Sophie." Jack pointed with his staff at the kid who brought her sister with him "Pippa," Jack pointed at the girl with brown eyes and auburn hair and was wearing a white cap. "Cupcake," Jack pointed at a rather large girl with messy brown hair and brown eyes. "Claude and Caleb," Elsa guessed they were the twins. They both looked the same age and had the same black hair although one was hidden under a beanie. "And last but not least, Monty." He was the kid with the red glasses and blonde hair.

Elsa just stood there awkwardly, hands clutched together in front of her chest while the kids watched her as if waiting for her to do something. She glanced at Jack for help but found he wasn't giving any. She did the only reasonable thing to do. "Uhm… nice to meet you," Elsa said.

The kids broke from their trance and began barraging her with tons of question that Elsa couldn't begin to comprehend. Jack finally decided stepped in. "Quell your thrill, kiddos. It's her first day out. Spare her. Why don't you go and play?" They apologized and left her alone although it was clear that when Elsa was ready, they would be all over her again. "Sorry, they could be handful sometimes."

"No, it's fine. Rather overwhelming, but fine." Elsa found herself chuckling. "What did they do? How did they see me?"

"They believed in you." Jack smiled and Elsa just realized how contagious his smile was.

"I believe this is the best part, then?"

Jack leaned closer and whispered to her, "Not quite." Jack created a snowball and shouted. "Hey, Jamie!" Jamie turned toward Jack with questioning glance. "Think fast!" Jack threw the snowball at him and it hit squarely on his chest. The other kids laughed at him and Jamie exacted his revenge on them.

Jack laughed and turned to Elsa again and found her watching the scene with horror. "You struck him! In the heart!"

"It's a snowball, Elsa. He's fine, see." Jack was right. Jamie was running around joyfully without showing a sign of turning into a frozen statue.

"But the snowball was from your power."

"I told you, Elsa. Happy thoughts wouldn't hurt anyone. Now you believe me?" Elsa still wanted to voice her argument when a snowball suddenly hit the back of her head. Elsa twirled to see Pippa winced guiltily. The other children stopped playing and stared at Elsa, ready for her wrath. "Are you going to let her get away with it?" asked Jack playfully.

"No," Elsa smirked and just for safety precaution scooped some ice from the ground instead of using her power. The kids shrieked in delight and began running away from her while Elsa chased them.

Elsa had forgotten how long had it been since she truly had fun with all abandon. Just by doing a snowball fight, her inner child that had been cooped up for so many years began to emerge. She felt a release, although a different kind than the one when she poured her heart out to Jack. When that one had been emptying her soul, this one was like filling it back with new glee.

Elsa stopped and searched for Jack, wanting to thank him and maybe threw one or two snowballs full of gratefulness at him. Then, she found him. She didn't know for how long but Jack wasn't joining the snowball fight at all. He was leaning on his staff, observing Elsa, and Olaf was right. The way Jack looked at her right now was the same like how Kristoff had looked at Anna.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello there. Sorry this one took rather long. I hope it is to your liking, though.<strong>

**Thank you again for reading. Your support really means a lot to me. **

**I confess I've done some stalking on my own traffic stat (*don't judge me*). I couldn't help myself hehehe.  
><strong>

**See you guys on the next chapter. **

**Feel free to PM me though if you feel like it XD**


	7. Revelation

The sun had set and night had descended. The kids had returned to their own homes, leaving Jack and Elsa alone. Elsa had expected Jack would take her home anytime soon but it seemed Jack had something else in mind. Jack brought Elsa to the roof of the clock tower. They sat down, leaning on the tall mast. From up there they could look all around town to the horizon beyond. For a moment they just sat there in silence, taking in the view then Jack procured something from his pocket and gave it to Elsa.

"A chocolate chip cookie?" Elsa stared at it.

"Jamie made it. He gave it to me when we walked him home. He wants to make homemade cookies for Santa when he delivers his present and that's the tester. Go on, try it."

Elsa took a bite while Jack watched her reaction. Her eyes widened and she chewed carefully before swallowing rather forcefully. "It has a very… interesting flavor."

"He mixed up sugar with salt," Jack explained.

Elsa stared with disbelief at Jack who was grinning triumphantly. He tricked her! Elsa punched Jack's arm and he burst out laughing. "You…" Elsa just sighed in defeat and smiled. "I know what you've been trying to do all day."

"Oh, you do?"

"You wanted to make me forget about what I did, didn't you?"

"Nah, I just need an assistant to help me with my guardian job. Do you want to fill in?"

"Jack…" Elsa pretended annoyance and Jack laughed again. Why was his laughter so contagious? Elsa couldn't help but to chuckle along with him.

"How do you feel?"

"Much better, all thanks to you." Elsa gazed into his eyes, wanting to convey how much she meant every word. Ever since Jack arrived in her life, she almost had no time to wallow in self-pity and fear. It was as if her whole life suddenly became brighter. Jack returned her gaze with that expression again, eyes full of love and kindness. Elsa couldn't help but wanting to confirm it.

"Why..." "May I…" They both said at the same time.

"You go first," said Elsa. She can wait.

"If I may ask, I want to know why you lost control yesterday night. You seemed to be perfectly fine before I left you." Jack knew he was digging up his own grave, for all the efforts that he gave to cheer up Elsa. But, he must know, lest it happened again so he could prevent it.

"I don't know. Maybe it was because of my nightmare?" Elsa suddenly lifted up her head, revelation washed over her. "And every other time I lost it. I think it was all because of my nightmares. I mean, never in my waking moment I lose control, at least not to the extent I could hurt anyone."

Jack suddenly looked stern. His humor and nonchalance was gone. "How many nightmares have you had exactly?"

"Quite a lot, actually. Well, considering that I'm traumatized by my own demise, it's no wonder that I had that many nightmares." Elsa turned to Jack and found him wasn't listening anymore. Instead, he was pondering while looking at the distance with a grim expression. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, nothing," Jack said with a forced smile. With just that, Elsa could tell he didn't mean it. He wasn't telling her something. "What did you exactly dream about?"

"Mostly Anna and all the bad things I did to her. Sometimes the screaming of the ship crew as the wave rushed over us before it engulfed the ship. What's wrong Jack?"

"What was that you were going to ask?" Jack avoided the question. Elsa wasn't quite satisfied and began to be curious but Jack had done so much for her, she felt she owed him to let this one slide.

Elsa contemplated asking him about his feelings but the cat was out of the bag so she guessed there was no going back. "Why are you doing all of this for me? Cheering me up, training me, why?"

"I want to help you, Elsa."

"Yes, but why?" Jack avoided her gaze and suddenly turned very solemn. At the same time, color was starting to creep up his cheek and he brushed his nose. Elsa didn't need answer anymore. The way Jack acted already confirmed it for her. She figured she should spare him. "It's okay. You don't have to answer me. Whatever you reason is, know that I'm very grateful that you appeared that day in front of my mansion."

As she returned her gaze to the view, Jack fought a battle within himself. He wondered if this was the right time to tell her the secret he had been keeping for more than 200 years, the fact that Jack was the cause of all Elsa's troubles. His heart dared hope that maybe, just maybe Elsa would forgive him for giving her his power but his mind was too afraid to take the leap. He was afraid that once she knew, she would shut him out again or worse hated him. He couldn't live with that. But then again, Elsa had started to open up to him. The whole week Jack spent with her was not for naught. Elsa trusted him, he knew or at least he wanted to believe it. If not, Elsa would press her question just now, no?

Jack shook his head. It just had been one week. As much as Jack didn't want to believe it, Elsa wouldn't mind pushing him out of her world once the truth came to light. He was about to return his gaze to the scenery when he noticed the moon was hovering right above them. It basked them with its radiance, silhouetting them with a silvery shine. The moon said nothing but Jack knew it was urging him to do the right thing: to tell the truth.

If there was one thing Jack would always do, it would be to always listen to the Man in Moon. Jack steeled himself. He readied his heart as his mind raced for all sorts of explanation and plea of forgiveness. He would need it for what's to come. He opened his mouth, but before the first syllable could come out of his mouth, the bell of the clock tower rang. Nine chimes meant it was already nine o'clock in the evening. Jack heard Elsa gasped and saw her pointed to the distance.

"Jack, look!" she squealed.

Up above the clouds there was a brownish-yellow glow. Then from that center, streams of similar colored tendrils flowed everywhere as far as eyes could see. It sought every house all around them and even beyond that. A stream flowed past them, just beside Elsa. Elsa reached a hand out to it, but she hesitated and took back her hand.

"It's okay, you can touch it," Jack encouraged her.

Elsa did and the tendril burst and transformed into a prancing unicorn. It circled Elsa once which made her giggled and made its way back to where the stream sending it too. "Must be Cupcake's dream," Jack said, smiling his amusement.

"What is that?"

"The craft of His Nocturnal Magnificence, Sanderson Mansnoozie, Sandman the First, Lord High Protector of Sleep and Dreams." Elsa blinked in confusion. "It's the Sandman's dreamsand. Believe me or not, that long title is truly his."

"It's really…" Elsa touched the dreamsand again, scooping a handful and watched it transformed into puppies playing among themselves before sending it on its way again. "…beautiful."

"And this is why we're not halfway back to the North Mountain," Jack grinned smugly.

"It's worth it," Elsa was grinning back.

With what had transpired, Jack had forgotten his resolve and decided not to ruin the moment. They both enjoyed Sandy's work for awhile before Jack stood up. "Come on, it's getting pretty late. We should head back."

Elsa nodded and stood with Jack's help and waited. She had expected Jack would open a portal again to take them back home, but Jack didn't do anything. "No portal?" she asked.

"I only have that one to begin with. It was actually meant to take me back to the North Pole."

"Then how are we going to get back, now?"

"Fly!"

Elsa looked at Jack as if he was a madman, but Jack expression was serious. "Jack, I can't fly."

"Yes, you can. Our power is similar," _It's exactly the same, actually_, Jack added inside his heart, "if I can fly, you can too."

"I don't know how!"

"Easy. You just have to feel the wind around you," Jack spread his arms and closed his eyes, "and ask it to propel you." His feet began to hover above the roof. "There, then you just float around wherever the wind blows, like a snowflake." Jack went down again and urged Elsa to give it a shot.

Elsa closed his eyes and tried to visualize what Jack just did. When she opened her eyes, nothing happened. She let out a frustrated sigh and tried again but still, nothing. "I don't think I can."

Jack scratched his head, "Well, this lesson is quite hard and rather dangerous and it's getting late. We'll try again tomorrow. For now…" Suddenly, Jack went behind Elsa and picked her up on his arms. Elsa cried in surprise but quickly wreathed her arms around Jack's neck the instant Jack sent them shooting to the sky. "You don't mind, do you?"

Elsa looked down hesitantly as the ground disappeared beneath them and held on to Jack even tighter. "A bit late to ask now, Jack."

Jack chuckled and asked the wind to carry them back to the North Mountain. "Just bear with it for the meantime."

The sky was still dark when they arrived at Elsa's mansion but they know hours had passed. Jack put Elsa down in front of her mansion. Elsa did the best she could to maintain her composure, not wanting to show Jack how her heart raced during the entire journey. However, judging by how hard Jack was trying to keep in his laughter, Elsa had failed admirably. "I'll see you tomorrow, then." Elsa turned on her heels and walked away.

"Yeah, see you," Jack said, laughter mixed inside his voice. He then jumped upward and flew away.

Elsa secretly glanced back and watched with envy how easy for it for Jack to just fly. She just realized how badly she wanted to be able to do it too. Elsa shook her head and assured herself. Jack promised he would teach her and he had never broke his promise yet. She went inside her mansion and was greeted by Olaf.

"Hey, you're finally back. How's your journey?" asked the snowman.

"It was nice," Elsa replied.

"Good, good. You look much better now."

"Thank you, Olaf."

"Someone has been waiting for you to return in your room. Is it another one of your friends?"

"Someone has…?" Elsa furrowed her brows. No one knew where she had been staying except Jack and he seemed to have not told anyone yet. So who could it be? Comprehension struck her and she dashed to where Olaf said he was waiting.

She opened the door and beheld her visitor. His back was to Elsa and he didn't notice her presence. He was busy inspecting the stuff on her desk. He was tall and lithe and he wore a long black robe and had a grayish skin. His hair was black and spiky. "I thought it must be you," Elsa smiled, "Kozmotis."

The man turned and revealed himself to be none other than Pitch Black. "It's been a long time, Elsa. Ten years, I think?"

"Yes, it has."

_More than __200 years ago._

_The city of Arendelle had just celebrated the coronation of its new queen, but like all good things, this one too must come to an end. The time celebration was over and that was left was duty, duty, duty._

_That day, Elsa was on the docks, commandeering a ship to prepare for sailing. She was garbed in her travel clothes. Her hair was bound in her favorite French braid and although she didn't quite need it, she still wore gloves all the same. Old habit died hard or so the saying went. _

_Behind her, Anna came running toward her, also wearing her travel clothes and carried a large backpack on her back. Hearing the approaching footsteps, Elsa turned._

_"Anna? What are you doing? Where do you think you're going?"_

_"I'm coming with you, of course!"_

_"No, you can't!"_

_"But Elsa… the gate is finally open, you're finally out of your room, you're now the queen…"_

_"Get to the point," Elsa said before Anna could ramble on._

_"I finally got the chance to spend some time with you and you're leaving already?"_

_Elsa smiled at her sister. "I feel the same way Anna, but since we have cut off our trades with the Southern Isles and Weselton, I have to sign new trade contracts with another kingdom."_

_"Can't you just send an ambassador instead?"_

_"I can but since our parents died, Arendelle hasn't been friendly with other kingdoms. It's only appropriate for the new queen to present herself and offer her apologies. Anna, you surely understand."_

_"At least let me come with you," Anna pleaded._

_"You can't come with me. I need you here." Elsa took Anna's hands and held it in hers. "I need you to rule in my stead, until I return."_

_"ME? A queen?" Anna blinked in disbelief and shook her head. "No, no, no Elsa I can't. I'm not a queen material."_

_"Do you remember when you went to the North Mountain and tried to convince me to head back down the mountain with you?"_

_"Well, yeah like it was just last week." Anna rolled her eyes then stopped herself. "No, wait, it _was _just last week."_

_"To take action when it was needed, you already did the first right step of becoming a queen. You're probably a better 'queen material' than I am."_

_"That? Nah… I just want my sister back." Anna shrugged it off. "And for the record I did let the wrong person be in charge of Arendelle when I searched for you."_

_"That's not the point. The point is, I believe in your ability. Here…" Elsa stopped a man who was about to load a chest inside the ship and opened the chest. From it, she took a velvet box and gave it to Anna. "I want you to hold on to this until I return."_

_Anna opened the box and beheld a crown. "This is yours…"_

_"And I'm entrusting it to you."_

_Anna looked at Elsa then back to the crown then back to Elsa again. She closed the box and pulled her sister in a tight embrace. "Promise me you will return soon?"_

_"I will," Elsa returned her embrace. They held on for a moment before separating themselves. There was a drop of tears in the corner of Anna's eyes and Elsa wiped it away. "I'll see you again, Anna."_

_"I'll see you soon, Elsa." Anna waved fiercely as Elsa began to walk toward the ship._

_"Are you sure you want to see me soon? Aren't you afraid I'm going to disturb you and Kristoff?" Elsa teased as she walked on the gangplank._

_"What!? Of course not! I mean it's not that I don't like Kristoff but you can never disturb us. I mean not in a 'you're not part of our world' way but more like 'you're welcome in our world anytime' way."_

_Elsa laughed at Anna's response. She waved at her as she leaned on the bulwark. The captain of the ship approached her, confirming the ship was ready to depart and Elsa nodded. Then the ship began to set sail. "Don't be married when I return!" Elsa shouted to Anna._

_"Elsa!"_

_10 years ago._

_Elsa couldn't see anything. All around her was dark. There was no light, no sound, nothing. All she could feel was her body slowly being lifted up. Only then she saw a glimmer of white light, waning above her. Her body was lifted up and then she was hovering over a surface of water. She was placed down and when her feet touched the water, it turned to ice, giving her a platform to stand._

_She took a moment to recollect herself. She knew her name and she knew where she was from. Good, so far so good. How did she ended up… where was she anyway? She looked around and saw nothing but water all around her. It was nighttime, that much Elsa was sure but there was nothing she could recognize. There were only her, the sea, the sky and the moon above her._

_Elsa tried to recollect her memories. She remembered saying farewell to Anna, and then she was aboard a ship. She was heading to the United Kingdom to sign a trade contract. No, she was pretty sure she had finished signing that contract. She was heading home then… a storm! A storm so furious, it had capsized her ship. Nobody had the time to evacuate. She and her crews were thrown overboard. She remembered trying to swim upward, the breath in her lungs began thinning. Then, something struck her head, probably part of the wreck, and she was drowning. Elsa's breath began to labor as she remembered the terror she felt that night._

_As memory began to assemble itself piece by piece, flurries of ice swirled around her and threatened to turn into a blizzard. Elsa snapped out of her trance and grasped for control. It seemed she still had her power and still unable to control it. It would be nice if her power died when she did._

_"Elsa?" A voice called and Elsa was startled. She searched for the source of the voice and found it. It was a man clad all in black and he was riding a horse made of black sand. His skin was pale gray and he had eyes that looked like an eclipse. If not for those eyes, Elsa would miss him because he was blending well with his surroundings._

_"Who are you? How do you know me?"_

_"I'm sorry for my rudeness, Your Majesty." He dismounted and bowed. "My name is Kozmotis. I know of you a long, long time ago, Queen of Arendelle."_

_"How long exactly?"_

_"200 years, give or take."_

_"200 years had passed!?" Elsa was shocked. What had become of Arendelle? What had become of Anna?_

_It seemed Elsa had voiced out her thoughts because Kozmotis answered, "I'm afraid, Arendelle is no more. So much had happened since you've been gone. As for your sister, I'm sorry to say I don't know what happened to her."_

_"How do you live for so long?" and Elsa too just realized the horse he was on was hovering above the water as well as he._

_"Why, I'm a spirit of course," he tilted his head and looked at Elsa with concern, "and it seems you are one too, now."_

_"I am?" Of course she was. It was the only logical explanation. "Can you help me? Can you take me to Arendelle or whatever has become of it?"_

_"Of course, I can, but will I?"_

_"Please." Elsa knew she didn't have anything to offer the man. She could only plead._

_"I'm just kidding. Of course, I'll help you, Your Majesty. But if I may, shall the need arise will you return the favor?"_

_"Of course!" Elsa answered without a second thought._

_Kozmotis offered his hand for a handshake and Elsa took it. When she grasped his hand, black sand engulfed their hands together. Panicked, she took her hand back. "What was that? What did you do?"_

_"You don't have to be alarmed. It's just a sign that we agreed to help each other. Now, hop on." Kozmotis created another horse with his sand. "I'll lead the way." _

_They both mounted each horse and the horses took flight. Elsa held on tightly to the creature's neck. Below her she could see the sea getting further and further. It was a short flight before they arrived at the fjord that was once her home. When Elsa saw what had become of it, her heart caved in._

_The once majestic castle of Arendelle was reduced to nothing but rubble. The houses around the castle too were all in ruins. Kozmotis was right, Arendelle was no more. Elsa walked to the burial site, hoping she could at least find her family tombstone. Alas, someone had moved it and all she could find was overgrowth. _

_She casted her eyes away, quelling the pain inside her. "Can you do me one more favor?" she asked Kozmotis._

_"Anything Your Majesty pleases."_

_"Take me to the North Mountain and find me books about all the things that have transpired while I'm gone. If I have to live in this world, it's better if I know what I've been missing and what I should expect."_

_"As you wish."_

Back to present time.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were coming. Please, have a seat," Elsa created a chair with her power and Pitch appreciatively sat on it. "Can I get you anything?"

"Relax, Elsa. I'm just here to check up on you. How have you been doing?"

"Very well. In fact, I'm learning to control my power."

"You are? And who is this mentor of yours?"

"Jack Frost, the new guardian."

Pitch jumped to his feet and faked bafflement. "Jack Frost!? He is not to be trusted, Elsa!"

"Why not?"

"After all the troubles he gave you, why would you?" Pitch acted as if he was exasperated.

"Troubles? He hasn't given me any."

"Oh, poor Elsa," Pitch looked at her pity, "he hasn't told you, has he?"

"Tell me what?"

"He's the one that gave you your curse!"

"No," Elsa wondered why Kozmotis would accuse Jack. "I was born with this curse."

"You're not, Elsa. I have not told you because I want to spare you the truth but here it goes." Pitch sighed. "When you were born, Jack Frost paid you a visit. I didn't know what compelled him to do so but he shot some sort of ice shard into your belly. I tried to stop him but he overpowered him. Because of that, your hair turned white and since then you were cursed."

"But he has been sincerely helping me," she stammered. There must be some sort of mistake. Jack didn't seem to be the sort that would hurt a harmless babe.

"He doesn't know how to take your power back and the guardians had put him to the task to save the children from you while they find a way. He never thinks about your best interest."

"That can't be…"

Just then, Pitch horse sentinel materialized inside the room. It communicated with Pitch in a language only he and his sentinels could understand. Pitch seemed to be nodding. "Just right in time. My sentinel brings proof." Pitch went to the wall mirror in the room and waved his hand before it. "Look inside the mirror and tell me if I'm lying."

Elsa took doubtful steps and peered into the mirror. First she saw only her reflection then the image shifted and turned into bird view of an office somewhere. She saw a figure that she easily recognized as Santa Claus. He was talking with a bird-like fairy with green and purple feathers. It was none other than the Tooth Fairy. Another person stepped into the field of vision having just arrived from the window and Elsa recognized Jack.

"Jack, you're finally back!" North welcomed him.

"Were you waiting for me?" asked Jack with an eyebrow lifted.

"Yes, Tooth has brought news."

"Is it good or bad?"

"That depends on how you perceive it," answered Tooth. "I've been working with Katherine and Mr. Qwerty."

Jack had heard of them before. Katherine was the Guardian of the storytelling and she could tell all stories in the past or in the future to come. She was once a formidable enemy to Pitch but now she chose to hand over the baton to the younger guardians while she and Mr. Qwerty enjoyed their solitude in the Chamber of Knowledge. Mr. Qwerty was once the keeper of the great library of Santoff Claussen before he engulfed the library in order to protect it from Pitch. By engulfing the library, he himself became the embodiment of it and he could reiterate every book he had eaten.

"I've found out more about you and the power you gave Elsa," Tooth continued. In Elsa's mansion, Pitch gave an 'I told you so' look to Elsa. "I've found a lot of interesting things."

"I'm all ears," said Jack.

"It wasn't the Man in the Moon that awakened her. It was your power. By giving her your power you also gave her your essence. She became your half in spirit, like an extension of your soul. You two are halves of the same ice, or so Mr. Qwerty said. Your powers are exact copy of each other. Whatever you can do, Elsa can too."

"That much doesn't make anything clear."

"Get this, Jack," said North. "If you can take Elsa's power from her, Elsa can do the same to you."

"And is it possible?" Jack asked

"Yes and it was quite simple too," Tooth answered for him. "The person whose power is to be taken just have to willingly give it and the person who is taking it only need to put his/her hand over the other stomach and willed the ice in the other person to return to him/her."

"What happen to the one whose power has been stripped from?"

"Let's say you take Elsa ice shard and combine it with yours. Elsa spirit then will immediately return to the afterworld. If you didn't, her spirit will linger for 24-hours before finally passing on."

Jack was silence as he processed the information. Back in Elsa's mansion, Pitch waved his hand again in front of the mirror and their vision of the office disappeared. Pitch delighted in his new knowledge but hide it well. Meanwhile, Elsa was crushed. It was all true, everything that Kozmotis said. She had never felt so betrayed before. She had thought all those moments Jack avoided answering why he was helping her, it was because the reason was he loved her and was afraid to tell. As it turned out, it was because he didn't dare to speak the truth. He knew the moment Elsa knew, he wouldn't be able to get close to her again much less took her power.

Elsa's heart was throbbing as if something was squeezing it tight. Her power went berserk almost as quick and she did nothing to control it. She was hurt, angry, anguished but most of all heartbroken. She thought finally she found someone who was like her and would accept her. She thought she could trust Jack.

"I'm so sorry if this is not what you want to see," said Pitch as he placed a hand on Elsa's shoulder. Elsa snapped out of it and the blizzard subsided. "I think it will be best if I leave. I'm sure you have things to reconsider."

Pitch turned to leave but Elsa called him. "Kozmotis…"

"Yes?" Pitch glanced behind his shoulders

"Thank you. I needed this. At least _you_ always tell me the truth."

"Of course," Pitch made way to his exit, a devious smirk plastered across his face. "Anything for you, Your Majesty," he said without turning back.

North Pole

"Jack? Now that you know this, what are you going to do?" asked Tooth.

"Nothing! You can't expect me to take her power away!" Jack couldn't bear the thought of a world without Elsa. If it was his power that kept her around then he wouldn't take it back. Then, Jack realized how selfish that sounded. There was still a chance Elsa wanted her power to be rid of her, that she longed to see her sister again. "I will ask her. Tell her about this and see what she wants. I will not do anything that is against her will."

"But Jack," Tooth said, "yesterday night, the blizzard…"

"… was not her fault," Jack interjected. "I found the real culprit. It was Pitch after all."

"Pitch!?" North and Tooth exclaimed at the same time.

"Elsa told me she had nightmares whenever she lost her control. Who other than Pitch can control nightmares?"

"Are you sure, Jack?"

"The blizzard yesterday night too was because she had a nightmare, so yeah I'm pretty sure."

"Then an apology is in order," said North. "We will hunt Pitch down and stop him from terrorizing Elsa. Meanwhile will you pass our message? We had wrongfully accused her and we will do anything in our power to make up for it."

"Of course. Elsa knew you thought she did it and she thought the same too. She never thinks your accusation was unjust, but I will tell her that you apologized anyway." Jack didn't knew what was waiting for him at the North Mountain.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't know if this is allowed but I figured it's better if I reply to your reviews here.<strong>

** TheAuthorSelection: right? right? he's head over heels for her XD**

** IceCrystal: Thank you for your compliments but i must confess, i cheated a bit sorry XP**

** NightshadeLily: Let's give Elsa some time to get used to the kids first, kay? after all, there are more problems ahead (poor Elsa), but sure Elsa will play with them soon**

** Nlresda123: Thank you. i just realized they reset the views every month, i was shocked when the views returned to zero**

** InDaBayou: i guess this chapter answers your question? XD**

**So all of you probably have the same question. Who is this Katherine? Mr. Qwerty? Kozmotis/Pitch?**

**All those answers you can find in rise of the guardians wiki (my cheat sheet)**

**To put it shortly, Katherine is a Guardian but not the famous kind. Kozmotis is who Pitch was before he became the Nightmare King. Mr Qwerty is a glow worm librarian. confusing? I know right XD. check out the wiki, it's a fun read especially if you're a fan of the guardians.**

**Thank you for reading. See you in the next chapter! **


	8. Betrayal and Forgiveness

Olaf noticed there was something off about Elsa since the black-robed guy visited her. Elsa suddenly wore that poker face again, the one she always used when she tried to conceal everything. If not the poker face, she would pace around the room while hugging herself, sometime shutting her eyes tight as if trying to shut away the pain. She became gloomier too, just like before Jack entered her life. Olaf decided that Kozmotis guy was in his least favorite person he liked.

"Elsa?" Olaf called her.

Elsa stopped from her pacing and turned to Olaf. She smiled but even from down there, Olaf could see the smile was forced. "Yes, Olaf?"

"Is Jack coming today?"

Elsa turned away. Barely a whisper, she answered, "I hope not."

Olaf was about to ask her why when they heard Marshmallow howled and someone yelled. There was a loud thump then the person shouted. "Marshmallow! It's me!" Olaf recognized the voice as Jack's. He and Elsa went for the window and watched just in time as Marshmallow swatted Jack from the air like an annoying housefly. Jack was thrown several yards away and finally decided there was no getting past the hulking giant. He went straight for the balcony.

"Elsa, what's wrong with Marshmallow?" asked Jack as he knocked on the balcony door.

Elsa made no move to open the door so Olaf went instead. However, Elsa stopped the snowman by putting one hand on his shoulder. She then returned to standing very still.

"Hey Elsa, are you in there? Olaf?" Jack knocks became more urgent and there was a twinge of panic in his voice.

"Elsa, it's Jack," said Olaf.

"I know," but Elsa still wouldn't let Olaf opened the door for him nor doing it herself.

The knocking suddenly turned to loud rattling as Jack slammed his body against the door, trying to break in. "Elsa! Are you alright!? Answer me!" Jack sounded extremely worried and judging by his urgency, he knew exactly why he should.

Elsa approached the door and said as calm and composed as she could. "Jack, stop it."

Instantly, the rattling stop and Jack's sigh of relief could be heard even from inside. "You scared me. I thought something happened to you. Hey, something's wrong with the big guy. He won't let me in."

"I know. I told him not to."

"What? Why?" Elsa was mute. "Elsa?"

"Jack," Elsa breathed exasperatedly, "I think it's best if you don't come here anymore."

"Why? We haven't finished our training yet."

"I'm sorry but I don't want to continue."

"You know if there's something bothering you, you can always talk to me. Just let me in." Jack tone was light and playful but Olaf noticed the slight shake in his voice. Jack was confused but he was more afraid he was losing Elsa and she was oblivious to that!

Olaf turned to Elsa and saw her biting her lips. No, she wasn't oblivious but she refused to believe it. She was in denial. "Goodbye, Jack," Elsa mustered.

There was a silence in the air but they knew Jack hadn't left yet. "I'm not giving up on you, Elsa. I'll wait until you want to talk to me."

There were some scuffling noises then nothing. Olaf wondered if Jack had left but Elsa wouldn't let him check. "Let it be," she said. She walked over to her desk and took a book from among the pile. She opened it and pretended to be perused by it but Elsa was fooling no one. Even a snowman could see how her gaze was empty.

Jack rested his forehead against the door and exhaled loudly. He thought Pitch had gotten first to Elsa before he could save her, but it seemed to be something else entirely. At least she was alright, although he couldn't figure out her sudden antics. As far as he knew, he hadn't done anything wrong, but if Elsa needed time Jack would gladly give all he could. He'd wait as long as it would take.

* * *

><p>Days passed and there was no more knocks. Jack hadn't showed any sign of returning. Elsa was relieved but at the same time there was an oddness she never felt before and it made her condition went from bad to worse. Her control was slipping and she was restless. She was not getting any sleep too. She knew if she did, she would release some sort of calamity. She would often do the snowflake test only to get worse and worse result. A half snowflake was reduced to a quarter and at one point it wasn't even a snowflake anymore but a jagged shard of ice. Elsa grimaced and began to lash out, releasing her power in whatever form it may take.<p>

"Elsa!" Olaf called out. "Calm down. I think you need to see Jack."

"Enough!" Elsa snapped at the snowman. She never raised her voice against him before. Seeing Olaf shocked expression, Elsa realized what she had done and quelled the edginess inside her. "I'm sorry, Olaf but please let it go. I'm not going to ask Jack for help."

"Why? Jack can teach you how to control your power again."

"Olaf," Elsa squatted down and looked at the snowman in the eyes, "Jack has no intention of helping me. He never did."

"No, Jack really cares about you," Olaf gave her an assuring smile.

"No, he doesn't." Elsa was annoyed but she tried her best to talk civilly with the snowman. He needed to face reality.

"Of course he does! He's in love with you!"

"No, he's not!" Elsa snapped again, fury edged her voice making Olaf shriveled in fear. Since when did she have such a short fuse? "I'm really, really sorry, Olaf, but please, please get that thought out of your head. He never loved me." She was once deluded on that false pretense too. It was foolish of her to listen to a snowman judgment. It was foolish of her for letting her guard down.

"Elsa…" Olaf dared touched her forearm. "Can't you see it too?"

"It's you who have to see reality, Olaf." Then, Elsa began telling it everything Kozmotis told her and what she saw, about how Jack intentionally cursed her, about the guardians wanting her out of the picture and how they and Jack planned to take away her power and thus eliminating her very existence. "…you see now, Olaf? All those things he did are just a way for him to redeem himself. He felt guilty. Now that the guardians showed him a way to take my power away, he will do it. We can't trust him."

"I still don't understand why you are so upset," said Olaf. "Didn't you want to be rid of your power? Not that I'm saying you should."

Elsa blinked. Yes, she did. To be rid of her power was everything she dreamt of, yet why was she so reluctant now? What had changed? She furrowed her brows. Of course, it was all because of _him_. _He_ had showed her what their power was truly capable of. That perfect snowflake, that snow day and flying had made Elsa curious and wanted to be able to do it too.

"Elsa, I think the reason why you're so upset is because you have feelings for Jack," said Olaf.

"That's outrageous!" Elsa stood on her feet and turned away from Olaf. She couldn't imagine why Olaf kept saying implausible things.

"I think you're just trying to find reason to push Jack away. You still think you don't deserve happiness after all these times, after all that you have done. You think you only deserve loneliness and solitude. Then, Jack came along. He made you love your power and proved you wrong and you find it hard to believe. You think that you're deluded and once Jack gives you a reason not to be trusted, however unproven it is, you take it as the truth." Olaf approached Elsa and held her hand. He led her to her desk and made her sit while he pushed a chair from somewhere and sat in front of her.

"I know, deep inside you don't want it to be the truth. That's why you're so upset, because you think Jack doesn't have the same feelings as you do. Because you think that everything Jack did was nothing but a way for him to redeem himself. That's what you're upset about, not because he gave you your power or wants to take it away. You're upset because you think there's finally someone who you opened up your feelings to but it turns out he's kindness was only out of guilt."

"I… have feelings for Jack?" Elsa stammered and rubbed her forehead. It was inconceivable!

"That would also explain why you've been sneaking glances at the window too. You're hoping that Jack would knock again."

"I have?" Elsa didn't notice at all.

"Yeah, every day since you tell him to leave. See, you just did it again!"

Elsa did catch herself doing it and abruptly stopped. What was wrong with her? She wasn't usually so desperate for a man. What happened to her conviction few minutes ago? "But he gave me his power, Olaf. Intentionally! I've been a prisoner in my own home for thirteen years because of him."

"That's Kozmotis's side of the story. You haven't heard Jack's. Even if he did give you your power, I'm thankful for him."

"Why?"

"If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here. In a manner of speaking, you, Anna and Jack built me together." Elsa couldn't believe how right he was. It was her and Anna's imagination that created Olaf and Jack's power that brought him to life. Olaf had been nothing but a dear to her. For the longest time, Elsa thought Olaf was the only beautiful things her power could do. She was tongue-tied because Olaf made valid points and because she was losing an argument to a talking snowman. "You don't have to worry, Elsa. I know Jack loves you back."

"How do you know that?" _Wait, shouldn't I deny that I love Jack?_ Elsa spoke in her mind. "Don't tell me. You're just going to say it's because of the way he looks at me."

"That and because these few days he's still waiting for you to let him in on the balcony."

"What!?" At once Elsa rushed to the window and peeked. Olaf wasn't lying. Jack was there, sitting on the floor and leaning against the railing. He appeared to be sleeping but Elsa couldn't tell for sure since his hood was drawn. "He's been sitting there ever since?"

"Yep. I thought you knew."

"No! This is unbelievable."

"You're trying to sound distraught but you're smiling." Elsa touched her cheeks, finding Olaf was right yet again. The warm fuzzy feeling in her heart didn't help her predicament either. She should be impassive, unconcerned and she really should be ordering Marshmallow to kick him out. "Stop fighting it, Elsa and stop denying the truth. There's love right out there waiting for you if you would just embrace it. Literally."

"This 'love' makes me not who I am. I'm usually calm and collected not... whatever I'm like now."

"Love does that to everyone. For me, I like the changes I see in you. Jack makes you smile more often. For just that, I'll put him in the same level of likableness as Kristoff." Olaf grinned at her. "I think Jack suits you. You have the same power yet your personalities are polar opposite. I think Jack is the very man that can make you loosen up."

Elsa glanced at the figure sitting alone among the falling snow, the man that was waiting for her. She didn't want to believe it but she was left with no room to deny. All those signs Jack had showed that she had dismissed as her fantasy resurfaced in her memory. It was real, all of it and if it wasn't, the one she was witnessing right in that moment was. Jack truly has her in his heart.

"Well, go on then. What are you waiting for?" Olaf urged her. Elsa parted her lips, wanting to say something but what was there left to say? It was a call for action not words.

Elsa reached for the doorknob and twisted it open carefully. She stepped outside with Olaf gaze behind her back, watching them from the window. Jack showed no sign of stirring. He must be awfully exhausted yet still he was unmoved. She approached him silently while trying to form words in her head. What was she going to say? Was she about to turn away from him or was she about to profess her feelings?

Jack was only a step away from her but still he didn't notice her presence. Elsa squatted down so she could see his face better. She grimaced when she found dark circles under his eyes. He must have tried his best not to fall asleep until it took its toll. She pitied him and she felt guilty but there was one more feeling she couldn't shake. Despite how he felt about her and how she felt about him (although still she tried to deny it), she couldn't forgive him, not completely. She still had been a prisoner in her own home for thirteen years because of him. "Just why…?" she whispered.

He must have heard her voice for suddenly Jack opened his eyes and almost scrambled to his feet before he stopped himself. Elsa reflexively stood up and took a step backward. Jack moved to approach her but again he stopped himself. He withdrew and looked at Elsa warily. He said nothing. Elsa realized he was waiting for her to say something. He was treading carefully, afraid to step on a landmine.

Elsa stood straight and posed like how a queen should, noble and dignified. She stared him down, as if trying to put him in his place. "What have you not been telling me, Jack?" she asked. Her eyes were cold but her tone was composed.

Jack flinched. There was something that Elsa just knew, something that could make her drew away from him this much. Comprehension hit him and Jack slumped. There was only one thing that could make her so angry and he knew exactly what it was. "I was the one that gave you your power," Jack finally confessed but why this confession didn't follow with a burden off his chest. He realized it wasn't the secret but Elsa's demeanor that burdened him so. She acted so distant with him, like he was nothing but a peasant.

"Why?"

In his life as a spirit, Jack never felt coldness but just now, with just that one word he did and that coldness pierced his heart. She asked as if he purposefully gave it to her. "I didn't mean to. It was an accident."

"An accident?" Elsa queen-like behavior broke. Jack realized she did think that he did it on purpose. That fact hurt him.

"I visited you a month after you were born. I don't know why, I was just drawn in. Then, the Boogeyman appeared and provoked me. I attacked him with my power, he deflected it, the ice hit your belly and thus you have your power," Jack seemed reluctant in explaining. "Look, it doesn't matter if it was an accident or not, but please know that it was the one thing I regret the most as long as I've lived."

His eyes and his body didn't betray any sign of insincerity. Jack tried as hard as he could to convey how regretful he was. "So all you've done up to now was nothing but an act of redemption?"

"There was a time that I did do it to redeem myself for all the pain I've caused you," Elsa flinched. Her heart felt like there was a thorn pricking at it, "but that has changed. I…" Jack averted his gaze. He didn't want to say it, not like this, not when Elsa was treating him like he was a horrible human being.

Elsa quelled the voice inside of her, telling her how cruel she was now. Jack was being honest. He tried to fix his mistake. Elsa however, wasn't quite satisfied. "Do you know how to take my power away?"

Jack suddenly looked miserable. "Do you want me to take it away?" he asked.

"You didn't answer my question."

Jack let out a loud sigh. "I do," he said barely audible.

"Will you take my power away?"

"No!" Jack answered, perhaps a little too fast. "I mean, I wouldn't do anything that is against your will."

"Given choice, would you?"

"No," Jack said full of certainty, "not even if my life depends on it."

Elsa's heart warmed. So, Jack didn't want her gone then. She was relieved, but still…

"Will you forgive me?" Jack asked out of the blue, "for giving you your power, for causing you so much misery, for keeping it a secret?" Jack looked so dejected. He expected she wouldn't. He knew he had it coming, yet he still he tried.

But stil…

"I forgive you."

"You do?" His face brightened and his eyes were filled with hope.

But still…

"You will forgive me if I couldn't forgive you on one thing."

"What is that?"

"For making me lose all the moments I could have had with Anna." Elsa turned on her heels and head for the door, leaving Jack racking with remorse.

…her love for Anna was still greater than her love for Jack.

"Are you coming?" Elsa turned to Jack as he was still slouching, motionless. Jack lifted his head and saw Elsa hadn't entered her chamber. "I thought you were going to teach me how to fly?"

Jack was confused of the state of their relationship. Were they okay now? Was Elsa no longer mad? Jack decided he should just take what he could get. After all, beggars couldn't be choosers. "Coming," he followed after her. He decided he just had to tread carefully.

* * *

><p>The Warrens, 3 days before Christmas<p>

"Oy! What are you doing here!?" exclaimed Bunny. In front of him, a trespasser was laying face-down on his hammock. Either the trespasser didn't hear him or chose to ignore him, he didn't budge. Bunny poked him with his boomerang. "I'm talking to you, you useless guardian of Fun. How can a guardian of Fun be this gloomy anyway?"

"Nice to see you too, Bunny," Jack said as he turned his head sideway. "North is busy with final preparations for Christmas eve. I don't want to be in the way."

"Get off my hammock!"

"You can have it all the time. Leave me in peace for now, will you?"

Bunny sighed and decided not to bother him. Instead, he set up his painting kit and canvas and started drawing sketches on it. "How's the trouble at paradise?"

Jack sat up and glared at the pooka. "Who told you that?"

"We all know, kid. News travels fast."

"Argh… North…" Jack groaned and lay sprawling on the hammock.

"Don't blame the big guy. They're all worried 'bout you."

"They? What about you?"

"I'm in it for the laughs."

"Ha… ha… ha… so much fun to laugh at the guardian of fun, isn't it?" Jack mocked laughter.

"So? What's up?"

"What's there to tell? You probably heard it all. Elsa figured out who gave her power. She said she forgave me but still keeping her distance, although sometimes she would warm up to me. It's like a tug of war with her now."

"Women, eh?"

"At least she hasn't been having nightmares for awhile now, so we got that going. How's the Boogeyman hunting?"

"Still can't find that slick bastard. Don't worry, though, he won't be hiding for long. What makes her keeps her distance from you?"

"Aww, you do care, don't you?"

"Fine, forget I asked."

"It's her sister," Jack answered anyway. "Since she struck her when she was small, Elsa hadn't seen her sister much. She blames me for causing her to lose every moment she could've had with her, which she has every right to."

"Too bad guardians can't turn back time, eh?"

Jack groaned his agreement and watched Bunny doing his things in silence. He marveled at how talented the rabbit was (although he wouldn't say it out loud). He watched how every stroke of his brush brought the painting alive bit by bit. It was like watching the birth of something new. Jack chuckled. How fitting for the guardian of Life and Hope. Then, Jack suddenly got an idea.

"Bunny!" Jack called out all of a sudden. Surprised, Bunny missed a stroke and ended up with one long green line across the canvas.

"What did you do that for!?"

"Can you do me favor?"

"What favor?"

"Can you paint something for me and finished it before the Christmas party at North's place?"

"What!? Are you off the air, mate? Christmas is in three days!"

"Please, Bunny. I know you can do it."

"Is it about her?"

"Yes."

"Fine, but only because I owe her an apology." Bunny pointed at Jack with the tip of his brush. "What do you want me to paint?"

Jack looked around and found a pond nearby. He froze the water and made an ice sketch on it. Bunny observed Jack while rubbing his chin. "Not half bad yourself, aren't you?" said Bunny when Jack was finished.

"Can you do it?"

"Sure. How hard could it be?" Bunny shrugged. "I only need to finish it in two bloody days."

"Thank you so much, pal." Jack gave Bunny a bear hug.

"Hey! Get off me!"

Jack let him go while laughing all the while. "I'll see you at Christmas then, Bunny." Jack left the Warrens in great haste. He needed to make three more stops before his plan was complete.

* * *

><p><strong>Don't you just love Olaf? That wise little snowman.<br>**

**Anyway, Merry early Christmas to all of you. Thank you for sticking with me all these times.**

**I have a good/bad news for you, depends on how you perceive it. This fanfic is only 3-4 chapters away until completion.**

**I didn't plan for it to be a long fanfic so if you wondered why the pace is so fast, there's the reason.**

**Review reply time~~**

** NightShadeLily: Sorry, Elsa is still confused about how to feel. don't worry tho, if anything, Jack is very reassuring.**

** IceCrystal: guessed he missed the chance to ask her who told her all those stuff. poor Jack, misunderstood and all.**

** Wickedmagic: not quite yet, sorry. but don't worry, the next chapter would be... merry(?)**

**Thanks for reading. Have a nice day. Look forward to the next chapter :)**

**P.S: if you see typos, commas error, etc please ignore it. i was too sleepy to edit. sorry T_T**


	9. Christmas is here!

It was the day before Christmas and dusk had set in. Jack had told Elsa he wouldn't be coming that day because he had to help Santa Claus (it seemed he owed him a favor) but he would pick her up for some sort of party at the North Pole. So, Elsa was surprised when there was a commotion outside her mansion. She went and opened the front door and beheld Marshmallow fighting two intruders. One was a female. She had a human face but her body wasn't one of a human's. She was covered in turquoise feathers and had transparent wings. The other one was a little yellow man, literally made of sand. They were both flying here and there, dodging Marshmallow who was trying to swat them from the air.

Elsa raised her hands, ready to help Marshmallow and blasted the intruders away when Olaf slipped under her arms and exclaimed. "That's the Tooth Fairy isn't it? And that's Sandman!"

Elsa squinted. Olaf was right. Those two were the rumored Guardians. "Marshmallow, stand down!" Elsa shouted and waved her hand. With one gesture she froze Marshmallow movements and made him return to its snow-mound state.

No longer occupied by the snow giant, Sandy and Tooth flew toward them. They stood side by side, facing Elsa and Olaf. "Whew, that was a close one. Thank you. I'm Toothiana and this is Sandy," said Tooth. "You must be Elsa and Olaf. It's a pleasure meeting the both of you." Sandy nodded his agreement.

"Am I in trouble?" Elsa asked with a worried face. For two guardians to be at her doorstep, she couldn't think of any other reason.

"No, no, not at all! We're here to pick you up for the party and I heard you have perfect teeth. Ooh, let me look at it." Tooth approached her, ready to inspect Elsa's teeth but Elsa raised her hands in a defensive gesture and Sandy nudged Tooth with scolding look. "Right, perfect stranger. Sorry."

"Uhm, it's okay…?" Elsa wasn't sure it was okay at all. "I thought Jack's going to pick me up?"

"Well, change of plans! We need your help for tonight's party. If you don't mind, that is."

Elsa was rather nervous around these two, but the Guardians had turned a blind eye to all the disaster she had caused so she figured she owed it to them to help. "Alright," Elsa conceded.

"Great! And of course, you're welcome to join too, Olaf."

"Ooohh! I've always wonder how the workshop looks like." Olaf was jumping with excitement.

"Then, you're in luck!" Tooth smiled and threw a snow globe to the ground, one that looked exactly like the one Jack always used. The four of them hopped inside it and in the blink of an eye they arrived at the North Pole.

Santa's workshop wasn't exactly in the state Elsa thought it would be. There was no more toy production. It was one day before Christmas after all, any toy need producing was already made. Instead, the yetis (Elsa too wondered why it wasn't the elves who worked) were all in aprons and cook's hats. There was a wonderful smell in the air and Elsa could smell chocolate was among them. She could recognize the smell of chocolate from anywhere.

"There's going to be a feast tonight," said Tooth answering Elsa's thought. "All the spirits are invited, but we're rather shorthanded with the preparation."

"Even with all these yetis and elves?"

"None of them can make flurries," said Tooth winking. "Why don't you go and look around Olaf, but be careful with the oven and stoves okay. They're really hot." Olaf whooped and made his way around the workshop. Elsa glanced worryingly at the snowman. He could be reckless at times. She wanted to keep watch over him but Tooth took her hand and led her to a spacious hall where a large dining table had been laid out in the center.

"Right, we're going to need some snowflakes on the ceilings, but none in the center. We don't want our food to be covered in ice. And… oh! Hi, Jack!" Tooth beckoned to Jack who was passing by. Elsa twirled around, perhaps too fast, and saw him too. Jack had a large sack bigger than him slung on his back and he was dragging it across the floor. When he noticed them, a smile spread across his face and he started to fly toward them.

Elsa smiled. She was glad to see him. All day when he wasn't around, she had been contemplating about the state of their relationship and she hated it. Jack wasn't as free and cheerful as he usually had been before. She realized it was mostly due to her pulling away from him. It was unfair for her to blame Jack for the things she couldn't do with Anna. It had been her parents who locked her away, not him. If Jack had told the truth, which she believed he had, he had been trying to help but unable to since she hadn't believed in him. She was ready to truly forgive him and made her own amends too. She hoped there was some way she could mend the gap between them and perhaps soon they both need not to be reserved about their feelings.

Elsa flinched and mentally scolded herself for thinking such thought. She didn't deserve Jack yet, not until she righted her wrongs. Jack probably saw Elsa flinching and misinterpreted its meaning because his smile wavered for a second and he stopped flying. Instead, he approached them in a more somber manner. "I thought I saw a snowman running around. Isn't it too early for you to be here, Elsa?"

"She's helping us with decoration. We're going with White Christmas theme, this year," Tooth answered for her.

"You know you can ask for my help for that," said Jack.

"I don't mind, really," Elsa said.

"And aren't you supposed to help North deliver the presents anytime soon?" added Tooth.

Just as she said it, they saw Bunny hopping toward them with something on his hands. "Jack, North's looking for you. It's time to go. By the way mate, about the thing you asked me to do, where should I…?" Bunny looked up and was startled when he noticed Elsa. He stopped abruptly and the thing on his hand went flying. With nimble speed, he quickly caught it and hid it behind his back. Elsa didn't quite saw what it was but she could make out a rectangle shape wrapped with a gift wrapping. Elsa turned to Jack to saw him cringed and saw Tooth shot bunny a menacing glance. "Oh… hey… there… Elsa, right? Welcome to the North Pole," Bunny was stuttering.

"Thank you?" Elsa raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Oh! I heard North's calling us. Why don't we go there, Bunny?" said Jack who quickly dragged Bunny away. Elsa wondered why she couldn't hear the said call at all. Elsa saw Jack hoisted the large sack he previously left behind while shooting a glare and scolding Bunny. Bunny seemed to be defending himself but he scratched his neck in relief. Jack noticed that they were being watched by Elsa and waved at her while smiling awkwardly. Then, the both of them quickly left the hall as if fleeing from Elsa.

"Let's get to work, shall we?" Tooth pushed Elsa back and led her to the corner of the hall. Elsa could feel that Tooth didn't want Elsa to linger her thought on what just happened. She wondered what that was all about. "So, help us make it snow all around but keep it to the sides of the room. I'll leave you to your work, then."

Elsa nodded and Tooth left her. She waited until Tooth was well away before squeezing her hand and closing her eyes. She had agreed to help and all, but she had forgotten one important thing. She hadn't truly mastered her power. What if it ran rampage during the party?

"Come on, Elsa. Remember all the things that Jack taught you. Just let it go," Elsa whispered to herself. She exhaled audibly and tried the snowflake test. The result made her gasp. Her snowflake was almost perfect. It was whole and almost perfectly clear and pristine. But how? She hadn't done much that could amount to this accomplishment.

'If you truly want to control your power, the only way to do it is by embracing your power,' Jack's voice rung in her ears. It was a memory of her first training.

'…By giving her your power you also gave her your essence. She became your half in spirit, like an extension of your soul. You two are halves of the same ice.' This time it was Tooth's voice from the vision she saw from Kozmotis's mirror.

Just like that, everything clicked together. Her power was Jack's. By deciding to forgive him, accepting him and loving him (Elsa blushed at latter the thought), she had embraced her power. It wasn't truly perfect because she was still keeping her feelings to herself but she was so close. What was left for her to do was to act upon her love, to mend the gap that existed between them and to finally achieve her happiness.

A laugh escaped her lips. It was so simple yet so complicated. Her answer to absolute control had arrived on her doorstep the day Jack did. She just didn't realize it. She should have listened to Olaf all along. The possibility her and Jack being together warmed her.

Then, the little voice in her head gave her pieces of her reality yet again. She had shunned him, pushed him away, disappointed him times and times again. Fact was, Jack was being overly cautious with her. It could be because he still felt guilty, but it could also be because he finally gave up on her. It could be his signal for wanting to return to being two strangers.

The snowflake on her hand suddenly became frosty and dull. It was still whole but no longer retained its clear and pristine smoothness. It was now jagged and white. "No…" Elsa squirmed. Her doubts and negative emotions had begun to take over again. She wanted to remain positive, but the battle against herself was a hard one.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Tooth approached her. She noticed Elsa was lost in thought for awhile and decided to check up on her.

Elsa wondered if she could trust Tooth with her secret. She didn't know the fairy well enough to confide in her. Telling her everything might be too soon. But then again, who else could she turn too? For several years now she had been trying to solve everything by herself and so far it wasn't working. Elsa decided it was time to take a leap of faith. "Is it okay if I tell you something?" Elsa asked.

"Sure."

So, Elsa began her tale about the vision she saw from the mirror, although she left out the part who gave it to her. She didn't want Kozmotis in trouble because of her. She told her how she had pushed Jack away and soon after that realized her feelings for him. She told her about how she couldn't find it in herself to forgive Jack and how she finally came to terms with the past. She told her about how Jack was acting toward her right now and how she wanted to make amends.

"…For as long as I still keep my feelings for him a secret, I won't be able to truly master my power," Elsa finished her story, "but truthfully I'm afraid that Jack no longer feels the same way."

"Aww, then there's nothing you should be worried about. Jack still loves you. Ask any Guardians, they'll tell you the same. I think he's even in love with you since before you became spirit."

"You think so?"

"Of course. Jack didn't stick around Arendelle for twenty-one years for nothing."

"I thought he did that out of guilt. He said as much."

"No amount of guilt can make a man do what Jack did. If he feels that guilty, it means you're special to him. You won't feel guilty toward someone who means nothing to you." Tooth rested her hand on Elsa's shoulder. "You have a chance for happiness just waiting for you to reach it. What are _you_ waiting for?"

"I don't know. I have never felt truly happy since the day I struck Anna. For it to be so close, it feels… surreal. I always thought that every time Jack looked at me with those loving eyes, it was just my wishful thinking."

"Well, it's not. Anyone could see from miles away that Jack is head over heels for you." Tooth smiled but her brows were knitted.

"Why do you have such a pained expression?" Elsa then realized the reason and brought her hand to her lips. "You have feelings for him too…"

Like a thief caught red-handed, Tooth suddenly become very flustered. "I… uhh…"

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know. What was I thinking?" Elsa was dismayed. She shouldn't have taken that leap of faith. Look who she was hurting now!

"It's okay! Really!" Tooth mustered her truest smile. "It's just a little crush. You don't have to pull back because of me."

"But you..."

"It doesn't matter. What matters is Jack loves you and loved him back. You are meant for each other. You need him as much as he needs you. Aww, you guys will make such a cute couple," Tooth sincerely thought so. That was why she happily back down from the rivalry.

"You don't have to be supportive. I'd understand if you keep your distance from me."

"But I do support you," Tooth gasped as an idea crossed her mind, "and I will prove it. Follow me." She took Elsa's hand and led her to an office. There were many toys scattered about here and there and scraps of parts lying about. There was a worktable, also filled with toys, a desk, a sofa, a wardrobe and some cupboards around the room.

"What is this place?" Elsa asked while marveling around the room.

"North's office." Tooth headed for the wardrobe and started rummaging the content.

"Are you sure it's alright for us to be here?"

"He won't mind, I think."

"You think?" Elsa gaped in disbelief but was amused.

"Let's worry about that later, shall we. Now, we have to make Jack so overwhelmed with love he couldn't wait but to profess his love for you."

"I told you. It won't happen unless I make the first move. He's still wary around me."

Tooth lightened up as she found what she was looking for and she handed them to Elsa. "Tonight, we'll change that." Elsa studied the items she was given. It was a red tube-top dress. The hem fell to her mid-thigh and it was rimmed with white fur on both ends. There was a small ribbon at the front that ended with white fur balls. The other one was a pair of high-heeled red boots that went up to her calves, also rimmed with white fur. "Go on, wear it."

Tooth went out the office to give Elsa her moment of privacy while she fit into the dress. When she was finished, she was amazed at how it was the perfect size for her. She studied herself at the mirror and found something still wasn't quite right.

Tooth knocked from outside, checking if Elsa was done and she let her in. "Beautiful," she commented, "but not quite yet. Ah! It must be the hair. Let's do your hair now."

"What do you want to do with it?"

Tooth rubbed her chin in deep thought. "Let's unbound it, for now." Elsa did as was told. When she was done, her hair fell free to her waist in natural waves, perhaps because she braided it so much. "We might not need to do anything now. I'll just brush it so it doesn't look too messy."

Tooth grabbed a hairbrush and a chair and urged Elsa to sit in front of the mirror. She obliged and Tooth began working on her hair, brushing it until it shone. Rather than combing her fringes back, Tooth let it framed Elsa's face, making her look shy and innocent.

"You're kind of similar to my sister," said Elsa out of blue.

"Really? In what way?"

"Hasty, quick to action, talkative, but you always put others before yourself. I can imagine if I was to love the same man as she did, she would do the same thing as you did. Oh, I hope I don't offend you."

"Not at all. I think you're spot on. I heard she sucker punched a bad guy."

"Yes, a prince from the Southern Isles."

"There's another thing in common. I punched the prince of nightmares." They both chuckled. "Maybe after tonight, we can be friends."

"I'd like that." Elsa smile grew.

"… and we're done." Tooth marveled at her handiwork. "Just wait 'till Jack sees you."

"You think he'll like it?"

"Positive." They shared a smile.

Few hours later.

North and Jack finally returned to the North Pole, sore and tired but happy. The yetis and elves came to their aid, reining the reindeers and took care of the sleigh.

"This is the last time I ever going to help you with your job," said Jack while stretching his back. There was a loud crack and he groaned. "I can't believe you did this every year."

"You owed me a favor. Don't forget you owe the other Guardians too." North laughed as Jack made an exhausted look. "Besides, it's worth it. Imagine the happy faces the children will have in the morning."

"That I agree with."

North looked up and his eyes widened in surprise. He nudged Jack and pointed toward what was beyond Jack's shoulders with his chin. Jack turned around and gaped. Elsa and Tooth were approaching them and Tooth stopped midway to let Elsa went to them alone. Elsa walked alone bashfully with her head down. Even from the distance, Jack could see her cheeks reddened. Jack was too stunned to move so North pushed him forward. He almost crashed to Elsa if he didn't stop himself.

Elsa lifted her head to see Jack. She was still blushing. "Welcome back," she said.

Jack was tongue-tied. He looked toward Tooth for help and she signaled for Jack to comment on Elsa's outfit. "You look beautiful." Oh, how he meant every word. Elsa blushed even more.

For a moment they both just stood there while staring at each other awkwardly, not knowing what to say, so North came to the rescue. "So, how's the preparation going?"

"Everything is ready and the guests have arrived," answered Tooth. "We're just waiting for the host to start the party."

"Let's get to it then."

North and Tooth went ahead to the great hall. Jack scratched the back of his head nervously and offered his arm to Elsa. Elsa bashfully hooked her arms around Jack's and they followed after North and Tooth.

The great hall was already crowded with spirits and guardians alike. There were Katherine, Mr. Qwerty, Ombric, the wizard of Santoff Claussen, the Groundhog, the Leprechaun, even the stone trolls (Elsa didn't know they were still alive and she had spent some time catching up with them) and many spirits Elsa didn't recognize. The table was laden with food, from salad of winter greens to roast turkeys to variety of desserts. The elves played their music and the yetis helped the guests to find their seat. They had rolled open the roof and the moon shone its bright light upon them, gracefully illuminating them in silvery gleam. It was snowing around the room, but the snow quickly dissipated as soon as it touched the floor. Elsa managed to do the decor after all.

North took the seat of the host at the end of the table. To his right were Bunny and Toothiana and to his left were Sandy and Jack. Elsa was seated just beside Jack and Olaf was to her left. Whoever arranged the seating order must have done it on purpose. Jack pulled Elsa chair and Elsa eased into it while she nodded appreciatively.

After making sure everyone was settled down, North stood up, raised his glass and tapped it with a spoon. All at once, the room fell silence and gave North their full attention.

"I want to thank you all for coming tonight. Today we marked the end of a great year. Although it's not without its troubles, every one of us has overcome it." North began to reprise all the events that had happened the whole year to each of the spirits. It was unmistakable he knew everything, bad or good.

Elsa looked around the room and found something amiss. She leaned toward Jack and drop into a whisper. "Hey, where's Kozmotis?"

"Who?" Jack raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Don't you know Kozmotis? He seems to know you though."

"I never heard of him before. How do you know him?"

"He helped me the day I become a spirit. I kind of owe him."

Jack felt a pang of jealousy but hid it well. He didn't know there was someone else who was close to Elsa and it didn't sit well with his thought. "Maybe we can ask North after the party."

Elsa nodded and heard Jack mentioned in North's speech. "…and Manny was kind enough to add another Guardian in our numbers, Jack Frost, the Guardian of Fun and the Spirit of Winter." Jack smiled and waved awkwardly toward the applauding audience.

"… not only that, we are honored to receive a new spirit among us, Elsa of Arendelle and her companion, Olaf. It's a pleasure to have you join us tonight."

Elsa handled the situation better than Jack. She stood and bowed. "It's a pleasure to be here," she said. Olaf followed her example.

_She was a queen after all_, Jack thought proudly.

"Anyway," North continued, "I've talked long enough. Here's to another year full of blessings and happiness."

"Hear hear!" The crowd chanted after him. They knocked their glasses together and drank up.

"Let us feast!" North officially started the party.

So began the merrymaking as they ate and drank and danced throughout the night. Jack was firmly glued to his chair while occasionally sipping drinks and stealing glances toward Elsa who was busy being greeted by older spirits. He wanted to ask her for a dance but he didn't know when or how to ask. He was afraid of being refused.

When the last one of the spirits was done with the formalities, Elsa turned to Jack. "Do you want to dance?" She had been sensing his uneasiness for awhile and decided to save Jack the trouble.

Unconsciously, Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you'd never ask." Jack stood and offered his hand to Elsa and she stood with his support.

The music switched to a slow waltz and they walked gracefully toward the dance floor. They swayed in each other arms, following the rhythm of the music. "I'm not a very good dancer so watch your feet. I might step on them," Jack jested.

"That makes the two of us." Elsa smiled coyly.

"You should let your hair down more often," Jack brushed her fringe and tucked it behind her ear, "its suits you."

"I'll consider it."

For a moment they were just enjoying each other's company until Jack remembered something and pulled her close. "Can you stay back a bit after the party?" Jack whispered in her ear.

"What for?"

"You'll see if you stay back." That pricked her curiosity and she nodded.

They wanted to dance together a little longer Olaf and Katherine asked both of them to grace them with a dance. So, albeit reluctantly they broke off and switched partners. Throughout the dance they would look for each other and shared a secret smile when their eyes met.

Dawn was a few hours away and the guests had begun to return to their own homes with their bellies full and content hearts. When the last one finally left, the Guardians led Elsa and Olaf to the globe room. Upon arriving there, they sent Olaf home first with a snow globe portal so there were only the six of them left. Elsa wondered if she was in trouble after all. They stood in front of her and one by one they turned to Jack, waiting for his cue.

Jack cleared his throat. "We have something to give you," he said to Elsa. "Bunny…"

Bunny hopped toward her and handed the rectangular-shaped gift she saw before. He signaled her to open it and she did. It was a painting. There was Anna and Elsa, standing hand in hand on a cliff overlooking the kingdom of Arendelle in a distance. It was breathtaking. "For when you miss your home," Bunny said.

"Thank you. You shouldn't have, but thank you," said Elsa hugging the painting.

"We're not done yet," Jack interrupted, "North…"

North approached her and handed her a stack of papers. They had turned brown with age and the edges were slightly torn here and there. "What's all this?"

"Read it," North said simply.

There were some faded letters on the paper. The writing was childish and crooked. Elsa could just barely made out what was written. It said:

_Dear Santa,_

_It's Christmas and I misses my sister so much._

_I don't want anything this year. I just want her to come out and play._

_Love, Anna._

Anna!? Elsa quickly flipped through the papers. They were all letters for Santa from Anna. All the letters she had written every year as she grew up. In every letter, Elsa was mentioned and it was always the same wish. The latest one was from before she became a teenager and stopped believing in Santa Claus. Elsa read it:

_Dear Santa,_

_Elsa still won't come out. I guess not every wish comes true._

_If you're really there, there's one wish I hope you will fulfill this year._

_At least, let her wish come true._

_Love, Anna._

Elsa covered her mouth with her hand. She lifted her head and looked at North with teary eyes. "You can keep it," he said, "I see how much it means to you more than me."

Before she could utter her gratitude, it was Sandy's turned to gave her his gift. He gestured for Elsa to squat down and began showing a series of display made of sand. First it was of two girls building a snowman together, the next one was of them sleighing, and then it was of them just running around, chasing each other. "They are Anna's childhood dreams," said Jack clarifying Elsa's thought. Sandy then produced a vial and put the sand inside of it and gave it to Elsa. "You can replay her dreams anytime you want now. All you have to do is release the sand from the vial." Jack repeated what Sandy had told him to say.

"My turn," Tooth flew to Elsa and gave her a little tube-shaped box. On the end of the box, there was a picture of little Anna. "This is her memories. With this you can see her lifetime, how was she, what she has done, everything! It's yours to keep, now."

"And here's the last gift." Jack approached her and produced a small purple velvet box. He opened it and revealed a necklace with a snowflake locket. The locket was open and inside was a picture of Anna, just like how Elsa last saw her. "So, that she will be with you all the time and also this is a symbol of how you inspired me. I never knew the true limit of our power until I remembered the wonders you did."

"You made this?" Elsa asked.

"Yeah. Sorry if I made the picture of her wrongly. It's hard to draw from memory."

"It's perfect," Elsa breathed.

Jack took out the necklace from the box and helped Elsa to put it on. Elsa gathered her hair so Jack could hook the chain with ease. When he was done, she rested the locket on her palm and marveled at it. "Thank you, all of you. I don't know what I've done to earn this much kindness, and I don't know how I can repay you."

"Don't thank us. Thank him." Bunny pointed at Jack with his thumb.

"Bunny! We agreed!" Jack hissed at him.

"He asked us to do this for you, as a symbol of apology for our false accusation, you know since we thought you were the one that caused the avalanches and all," added Tooth.

"That's why now he owes all of us a favor. That's why he helped with the present delivery," said Santa.

"Guys…" Jack gave up. Jack had told them to claim the idea as their own. He didn't want Elsa to think he was being creepy by overflowing her with gifts. Now, he was beet red. So much for discretion…

"You did all these for me?" Elsa took a step closer toward Jack who was averting his gaze while covering his face.

"You missed Anna so I just thought what if we each give you a present that could remind you of her. No biggie." He put his hands on his hips, feigning composure but he still didn't want to face Elsa.

Elsa couldn't take it anymore. She threw herself at him, wreathing her arms around his upper torso and hugged him tight. "Thank you, Jack. Thank you." She didn't know what else to say. She didn't think words of gratitude were enough.

Jack was stunned but soon returned her embrace. They didn't let go of each other until North cleared his throat. Even then, they still locked their gaze.

"It's almost morning. Shouldn't you go home, Elsa? That giant snowman of yours is probably worried," said Tooth.

"I guess so." North handed a snow globe for Elsa. She was about to open the portal when she realized Jack wasn't coming with her. She wondered if she could just leave things like this with Jack. Yes, the distance between them had shortened but she hadn't come clean with her feelings yet. Tooth too, was probably thinking the same thing. She was eyeing Elsa worriedly. "Jack, the sunrise is especially beautiful from the North Mountain. Do you want to watch it together? Of course, you guys can come too if you want."

"I have to clean up after the party," said North, "maybe next time, but thank you for inviting."

"Easter is around the corner and I got to make some preparation. Sorry, lass," Bunny replied.

"I think I heard the kids began losing their teeth because they tried out their new toys. I have to get back to work," said Tooth.

All of them knew they were giving Elsa and Jack their chance. All, except one. Sandy raised his hand and began to follow after Elsa, but Bunny pulled him back and whispered. "Read the mood, will you?" Sandy realized his mistake and began forming thoughts above his head about giving children their dreams.

"I guess it's just you and me." Jack stood beside Elsa and helped her with all the stuffs she had received.

Elsa opened the portal and both of them went inside. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the balcony of Elsa's mansion, right in time for the sunrise. After setting aside Elsa's gifts, they both leaned on the railing as the first light of the day began to rise above the horizon.

"You're not kidding. It really is beautiful," said Jack.

"Right?" She leaned on his shoulder. She didn't know where she found the courage to do it but she was glad she did because Jack wrapped his arm behind the small of her back and pulled her close. She hoped she would soon found the courage to do something more daring than this, professing her love.

There was a sound of someone approaching and they turned to see who it was. It was Olaf and he was grinning widely. "Congratulations!" the snowman jumped giddily.

Elsa and Jack looked confused. "For what?"

"Well, aren't you two together now?" Olaf covered his mouth with both of his twig hands. "Oops, I guess Elsa hasn't told you she loves you."

"Olaf!" Elsa didn't plan for it to be revealed like this.

"I'll leave you two alone then," said Olaf, escaping from Elsa.

Elsa wondered if it was truly a slip on Olaf's part or he purposefully let the truth slip out. As Olaf reached for the door, he turned to Elsa and winked before quickly fled the scene. Elsa decided it was the latter. "That snowman!" Elsa started to chase Olaf but she was stopped by Jack.

He held her arm tightly, his expression unreadable. "You love me?"

If moments ago it was Jack who was red as beet, it was her turn now. She averted her gaze and nodded. Jack broke into laughter and pulled her close. A second later, Elsa could feel his lips on hers. One of his hands was still holding her arm and the other was brushing her cheek, not wanting to let go. Elsa savored the kiss until she finally felt the need to break it. "Wait, Jack," she said as she gasped for air. "Just like this? But I've hurt you. I've pushed you away. I've disappointed you, repeatedly. I've troubled you times and times again. I…" his forefinger on his lips stopped her from rambling on.

"It doesn't matter. I don't care. I love you, Elsa." His eyes were so full of love and kindness. She could see relief and happiness mingled in it too and she was glad she was on the receiving end of it. When Jack brought their lips back together, Elsa didn't even think of letting go. She let Jack's hands roamed her back while she locked her arms around his neck. They stayed like that, lost in their passion.

"I'm so sorry for ruining this romantic moment," said a voice making them abruptly stopped. Just a few feet away stood Pitch, where he came from, no one knew for sure, "but I have some business with Elsa."

"Kozmotis…" Elsa whispered.

Jack's eyes widened with surprise. "What!?"

* * *

><p><strong>Gosh, this one is even longer than before. anybody wanna squeal for Jelsa?<br>**

**Anyway you wouldn't believe this coincidence. I have planned for this Christmas themed chapter since the day i made the first chapter and then boom! i manage to publish it somewhere near Christmas. Coincidences are amazing, don't you think.**

**Replying time~:**

**IceCrystal: now you know what they're up to. thank you for supporting this fic and staying tune since the beginning. i might or might not consider a sequel, depends on where my imagination will take me, but still thank you for hoping for a sequel.**

**NightShadeLily: careful, we don't wanna melt Olaf XD. to you too: ****thank you for supporting this fic and staying tune since the beginning. i might or might not consider a sequel, depends on where my imagination will take me, but still thank you for hoping for a sequel.**

**Savvy Orion childofcommander: thank you for loving it. i love you for loving it.**

**WickedMagic: now you know. hope its to your satisfaction.**

**Just a reader: thank you for stopping by this humble fic. i hope you will stay tune till the end.**

**TheAuthorSelection: sadly I couldn't write as fast as I hoped, but hey it's not far off Christmas so... yeah...**

**I hope this chapter met your expectation and is to your liking. To all of you readers, writers, admins, visitor, etc, whether you celebrate it or not, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!**

**Thank you for reading, stay tune for the next chapter**


	10. Sacrifice I'm Willing to Make

"You? Kozmotis is you!?" Jack snarled at Pitch while moving in front of Elsa. He grabbed her wrist, making sure she stayed behind her. He didn't know what Pitch wanted from Elsa and he was sure as hell didn't want to find out.

"Why Elsa, you didn't tell him of our fateful encounter? That saddens me," Pitch made a show of hurt which, of course, Jack didn't buy at all.

"Jack, what's wrong? You said you didn't know Kozmotis." Elsa was confused at Jack's sudden aggression and at his protectiveness over her. At the party, Jack had said he knew no spirit named Kozmotis but apparently he did know him, but why did he sound surprised?

"Please tell me this is not the man you speak of," Jack was irritated, not at Elsa but at himself for letting Pitch get to her first. "He's Pitch Black, the Boogeyman, the one who gave you all your nightmares."

"No, he couldn't be. He helped me," denied Elsa. She didn't want to believe she let someone whom she heard had caused so much damage – even worse than what she had done – helped her.

"Well, the cat is out of the bag." Elsa's eyes widened in horror at what Pitch just said. "You really should be careful on how you put your trust in, _Your Majesty_," Pitch sneered.

While Elsa was trying to recuperate from her shock, Jack searched for his staff. He was sure he brought it with him when he followed Elsa from the portal. _Damn it, where is it!?_, Jack cursed.

"You never really helped me, do you? You're using me to feed you with the fear of the people I've hurt!" Elsa just how foolish she had been. He had been manipulating her, making her think he was on her side. He even manipulated her feelings for Jack. He showed the vision on the mirror on purpose so she would distrust Jack and preventing her from achieving mastery over her power.

"There's one smart queen," Pitch mocked.

Jack finally found his staff. He remembered he had set it down with Elsa's pile of gift. Unfortunately, it was closer to Pitch than he was. Pitch must've noticed Jack's line of sight because he looked down and picked it up. Jack berated himself for being so careless. "You shouldn't let such precious thing just lying about, Jack. Remember the last time you were without it? I almost killed you."

"_Almost_," Jack stressed on the word. He then hurled an ice blast at Pitch and it hit him square in the stomach, throwing him back. The staff was sent flying off his hand and Jack grabbed it from the air. "Guess, I've gotten stronger. Now, let's send you back to your pit." Jack leapt toward Pitch, his staff was poised, ready to send a full blast of ice wave at him.

Despite the situation, Pitch chuckled, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Pitch opened his palm and on it, a miniature of Elsa made of black sand appeared. Jack stopped abruptly and lowered his staff. He didn't know whether Pitch was bluffing or that figurine really could do something terrible, but he didn't want to take any chances.

Suddenly, there was a scream. It didn't come from Pitch or Jack. It was Elsa. She was crouching down. Her hands were on her temples. Her eyes were shut tightly and her face was contorted with pain. "No… No!" Elsa screamed.

Jack ran toward her and held her shoulders but it was as if she was immune to the touch. "What did you do!?" Jack hissed at Pitch. As he spoke, a blizzard began swirling from Elsa and it was getting stronger by the second.

Pitch stood up relaxedly, his face was smug. "Doing what I do best: giving people nightmare."

Jack didn't need him to say anything else to comprehend the situation. Somehow, that figurine made Pitch obtained control over Elsa's nightmare, no matter if she believed in the Boogeyman or not, and now, clearly he was using it. "Stop it!" Jack demanded.

"Ask nicely and maybe I'll reconsider."

"Please…" Jack almost spat the word. It tasted foul in his mouth.

Jack didn't think that Pitch would even do what he asked, but Elsa stopped writhing in agony. She finally managed to open her eyes but her breathing was still labored. The blizzard too had stopped buffeting them. Jack held her close and she leaned on him, but Jack was infuriated. Pitch had control over her and he wasn't able to do anything other than pleading for mercy.

The door to the balcony was suddenly thrown open and Olaf emerged. "What's going on? I heard Elsa screamed."

"Olaf, get back inside!" Jack and Elsa commanded almost together.

Olaf noticed there was a third person in there and saw Pitch. "I suggest you listen to them, snowman," said Pitch, looking down at Olaf.

"If you're hurting them, you're going to have to go through me!" Olaf challenged him.

"With pleasure," Pitch started toward him but before he could, Jack pushed Olaf back inside with his wind and shut the door likewise. "Ah, and here I thought I will get a good sport."

"Why are you here? What do you want?" Jack asked the Boogeyman, in part hoping to divert his attention from Olaf.

"Do you remember during Easter I offered you to join me? Ice and darkness, a perfect combination for the new dark age, but you foolishly refused," Pitch smirked. "Do you think you were my only candidate? I asked you first because you're more stable than she was, but for ten years I have been keeping Elsa as my reserve. Alas, it doesn't matter. The time for my plan to come to fruition is nigh and I've come to pick her up."

"If you think I'm going to willingly help you then you are very well mistaken!" It was admirable how Elsa still manage to put up a fight, despite how shaken she was.

"Oh did you forget? You owed me, Elsa. You said that you're willing to lend me a hand should I need it. This figurine on my hand is the proof of that. Want it or not, you will help me or I'll make you, and I _can_ make you help me."

Elsa gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. "That black sand… it was from when we shook hand."

"You're quick to catch on." Pitch's smirk widened.

"I'm going to stop you, no matter what it takes," Jack swore.

"You can't stop me Jack, not if you want to spare Elsa the horror of her fears. I have you both in my clutches and there's nothing you can do about it." Pitch's triumphant smile was like salt to the wound. It didn't help that he couldn't think of any solution at all. "Although, there's one thing you can do." He approached the couple, making Jack reflexively placed his body between him and Elsa. Pitch scoffed and pointed at Elsa. "You can take her essence and save the world."

Jack knew exactly why Pitch would suggest doing that. Not because Pitch was giving him a chance to save the world, rather he was trying to break him. This was one of his mind games. If Jack let Pitch used Elsa, Elsa would fall into despair. She would be a monster that she feared to be and the world would perish. If Jack took her power, all will be well, except for him. He would lose Elsa and every future that they could have had together. It was a small sacrifice to make to save the world, but not a sacrifice Jack willing to make.

Jack turned to Elsa and look through her eyes. Even without saying anything, Jack could tell from the look on her face that she wanted him to take her power, to do what the right thing. That was exactly why he couldn't do it. She didn't deserve it. She didn't want to be the harbinger of doom, yet there seemed to be no escape from that fate.

"Jack, please…" Elsa begged him.

"I'm waiting, Jack," Pitch taunted. He knew exactly that Jack was racking his brain for answer and took pleasure at his impotence.

"Jack, just take it. Don't let me be a monster under his command." Elsa continued to plead.

"I do have one last solution for you; consider it a Christmas gift from me." Pitch said to Jack. "This figurine made me able to control her due to her oath to help me. If she does me a favor, I will no longer have my hold over her. I was going to use the 'favor' to make her set the world in ice, however there's another 'favor' that you might be interested in. I can make Elsa take your power instead."

"What will you accomplish from taking my power?"

"That doesn't concern you. What you should be concerned about is that she won't be the monster she afraid she will be, she will have her life, and she will be free from me. What's it going to be, Jack?"

"Take mine." Jack didn't even give it a second thought. If Pitch was willing to give him that way out, he would gladly take it. He guessed that by taking his power, Pitch would be able to replicate his power but that consequence at least didn't involve Elsa. If there was just some way he could warn the guardians…

"Excellent choice." Pitch raised the figurine of Elsa.

As he did, Elsa began to feel her body was no longer hers to control. Her hand moved by itself toward Jack's stomach. "Jack, don't," she managed to utter the two words before she completely lose control over everything other than her mind.

"It's okay," Jack said. He was looking at her with eyes so gentle, so resigned and so full of gladness, glad that Elsa wouldn't have to lose anything. Elsa had done many terrible things toward him. She had accused him, pushed him away, disappointed him, troubled him and now she was about to take his power, his life away, yet Jack still looked at her that way, despite everything she had done. Tears welled in her eyes and as the first drop fell from her eye, Jack cupped her cheeks and kissed her lips. It wasn't a loving kiss like the one they had shared before. It was a goodbye kiss. He knew he was going to lose his life and he gladly gave it, if it meant Elsa's in return. "I love you," he whispered. It was probably the last time he would be able to say that.

Jack's stomach glowed when Elsa's hand hovered over it and as she pulled her hand away, he cried out in pain. On her hand, a small ice shard started to form and when it was fully out of Jack's body, he collapsed to the floor. Elsa felt she finally regained control over her body but she couldn't move, not after the horrible thing she just done. She fell on her knees, tears streaming from her eyes uncontrollably. Pitch approached her and took the ice shard from her hand.

"Thank you, Elsa, now his power is mine," Pitch studied the shard elatedly. "Oh, don't worry, Jack. In your honor, I'll make sure Burgess will be the first to fall under the curse."

Elsa didn't pay any heed to what Pitch said. She was deaf to the world. There was only one thing she in her line of vision, the motionless figure of Jack, the man who loved her until the end, even if his end was caused by her. Once again, she had loved and lost. She had lost Anna, the sister she loved so dearly and now she lost Jack too, the man who showed her even one such as her could be loved.

Elsa didn't budge when Pitch left. She didn't care that her power was once again went out of control and it was storming all around her. She didn't notice that Olaf had been fighting the storm and went to her side. She was impervious when Olaf shook her shoulder, begging for Elsa to take hold of her power. Her mind was blank. It was as if she was unconscious yet she could see all those things happening. All she could feel were her tears streaming down from her eyes, unstoppable like a broken dam.

"Elsa…" There was a voice, fainter than a whisper but Elsa was sure it was Jack's.

Elsa snapped out of her stillness, the storm surrounding her stopped as she did. She picked up Jack's head and rested it on her lap. "Jack?" She stroked his hair and dared hope, but Jack was still inert. Was the voice her delusion?

"Warn… guardians…"

It wasn't her imagination after all! She saw it! Jack's lips moved slightly. Jack was still alive! Elsa shook his shoulders, hoping to rouse him. "Jack! Jack! Wake up! Please, come back to me." However, those three words were all he could muster before he faded again into oblivion. Elsa wiped the tears away from her cheeks. She vowed to do as his wish, but how? The North Pole was miles away and she couldn't fly! If only she had one of those snow globes.

"Elsa," Olaf tapped her shoulder. She was surprised at his presence. She didn't notice he was there at all. "Here," he gave her the snow globe she had been thinking about, "Santa gave it to me so I can visit the North Pole again, but you can have it."

Elsa hugged the snowman. Just how much must she owed him? He had helped her at every turn. What would she do without him? "Thank you, Olaf." Elsa took it and opened a portal to the North Pole. Then, she picked Jack up and slung his arm over her shoulders, Olaf tried to help by holding Jack's arm on his other side. She was surprised at how she was able to support him with ease. He felt so limbless. Was it too late for him after all? Elsa steeled herself from the thought and the three of them went inside the portal…

…and arrived at North's office. North was there and so were the other guardians who had said they had something to do. They were surprised at Elsa's sudden return, more so at the state Jack was in.

"Elsa? What happened?" asked North.

"Pitch, he was there at my place. He took Jack's power!"

North and Bunny helped Elsa took Jack off her hands and set him down on the couch. Tooth and Sandy approached and checked his condition. "But how?" Bunny asked.

"It was my fault, Pitch made me do it," Elsa told them briefly about how she met Pitch and how he had tricked her into making a deal with him thus binding her to her promise. "Pitch was about to use me to create another ice age, but he offered Jack a deal to make me take his power instead. Jack he…"

"That bloody bastard, not only Easter now he wants to ruin Christmas too? Oh, he's gonna get it from me this time." Bunny punched his own palm with his fist.

"Tooth," North called the fairy, "You're the one who did the research about his power. I'm guessing if Pitch took Jack's essence, he can use his power?"

"Yes," she answered, "and we have to move quickly. Once Jack's essence is out of his body, we only have 24 hours before he fades away."

"Will his essence disappears with him if Jack does fade away?" North asked.

"No, all the more reason why we have to get it back," said Tooth.

"But why does he choose to strike now?" asked Bunny.

"If I follow his train of thoughts, it's because it's the perfect time to strike," answered Tooth. "It's almost the end of the year and people are less vigilant, thinking whatever troubles could wait next year. They're under the false pretense of security, and so are we. Were Jack not with Elsa, the ice age would probably start without us knowing anything."

"Elsa," North turned to her. Elsa was sitting beside Jack while holding his hand, watching him intensely, hoping he would return to life. "Do you have any idea where Pitch could've gone to?"

"He said he was going to Burgess," said Elsa without even turning to North.

"Right, Elsa you stay here and watch over him. We'll go and retrieve his essence back. Pitch should've known better than to mess with the Guardians, again."

"No," Elsa stood up. At the moment, she was still wearing the clothes she wore to the party. With her power she changed it back to her usual attire and her hair was again braided. "I'm coming with you. Jack have saved me countless of times. This time, it's my turn to save him."

"I'll watch over him," added Olaf. "You guys go."

Seeing the determination in her eyes, North nodded. "We'll need all the help we can get. Last time, it was Jack who helped us stopped Pitch. You're his other half. With you, I'm sure we'll succeed."

Elsa didn't care about stopping Pitch. All she wanted was Jack's life back.

* * *

><p><strong>Dum.. dum.. dum... Behold! The prologue to the climax of the story. With this chapter out, I'm counting two more until the end.<br>**

**I've published rather early this week because 1. it's a short chapter, 2. i'm going to be super busy during the first few days after new year so.. voila!**

**Thus far, i must say this is my favorite chapter. Just love how Jack without even thinking about it, sacrifice his life for her 3**

**Replying time:**

**firepokemonfox: i hope i drew more 'wow' from you with this chapter XD**

**IceCrystal: sorry the Jelsa was so short. Let's hate Pitch together for ruining the moment! How about instead of a sequel, i'll do a one shot about Jelsa in alternative universe? Thank you for your compliments, it means a lot to me. Readers such as you are why I keep writing.**

**NightShadeLily: he did, and he did it in the most awesome possible way. To u too, how about a one shot about Jelsa in alternative universe? Thank you for loving the story. You and every fellow readers of his fic are the life of this fic.**

**WickedMagic: he did, literally too T_T**

**OTPIchiRuki3****: Thank _you _for reading. I hope you like this chapter too**

**Wade98: right? right? who doesn't love Olaf!**

**Anyway, New Year is almost upon us so I wish you a very merry happy new year. hope you have a great year ahead of you.**

****Thank you for reading. **Please stick with me until the end, just two more chapters left XD**


	11. To Burgess

North ushered them to the sleigh. For once, Bunny didn't complain about riding it. Perhaps, he comprehended the direness of the situation. It was the first time for Elsa to ride a sleigh and in a different situation, she might get excited. She board in silence, sat grimly while her mind raced with thought of Jack's essence in Pitch's hand. The guardians too, joined Elsa in her grim vigilance. They had underestimated Pitch once and as a result, they almost lost that battle. They weren't about to make the same mistake again.

North opened a portal to Burgess and the sleigh went through it. Upon arrival, they looked around, looking for Pitch or any signs of him. Instead, they found nothing amiss in the town. It was in its perfect condition and everyone was doing their usual routines. There was some snow but it was completely normal since it was still winter. There was no chaos, no panic, no fear, nothing.

"Are you sure Pitch said he was coming here?" North asked Elsa, to which she nodded.

"It could be a trap to lure us here, while he was raising havoc somewhere else," said Tooth.

"No, he was pretty arrogant about ruining Burgess. If there's anything I know about an overconfident villain, he won't go back on his words," said Elsa.

"I know what the problem is." Bunny pointed up, "It's midday. That rodent won't show his tail 'till sundown."

"Then we'll just go to his lair, attack him where he least expected it," Elsa suggested.

"No, it's too dangerous. Jack's been there once and he was played like a child. You don't want to be anywhere near that place," Bunny refused.

"Are you suggesting that we bid our time while Jack is dying with each passing second!?" Elsa didn't realize she was half-shrieking. She wasn't usually so short-tempered before. The guardians were surprised at her sudden outburst and Elsa quickly felt guilty. "Look, we can't just sit here and do nothing until Pitch makes his move. We only have 24 hours. You said so yourself."

"It's no use if we just rush blindly without knowing full well what we're up against," said North. "I understand your frustration, Elsa, but you must be patient."

"Why don't we scan the ground in the meantime? See if Pitch has done any damage," Bunny proposed.

They all nodded in agreement and Elsa had no choice but to follow the majority. They split up to cover more grounds. Elsa chose to head to the direction of the clock tower. She looked up and saw ghosts of her and Jack's on the roof, chatting without a care. She remembered the night she had once more buried a village with her power, just because she couldn't let go of the past and let it rule over her, thus becoming her nightmares. Jack had trained her as best as he could and was on the brink of succeeding and she had destroyed all of his efforts. Yet, he didn't judge her. He didn't treat her like a monster, like how her parents used to when she failed. He didn't leave her. Instead, he brought her here, to his hometown. He made her found her first believers. He helped her forget all her pains, all her bad memories. She remembered that was the moment she found love inscribed in his eyes, yet she chose to ignore it because of fear, because it was too good to be true. How she wished she could turn back time and had that moment again.

She saw the face of Jack in the back of her mind when she took his power. He had surrendered to her, to his demise. Nonetheless, he looked at her with so much love. He even said he loved her. Elsa stared at her hand, the hand that took Jack's life, the man who showed her she could be loved, the man who showed her that someone was willing to die for her. It would be on her hand, literally, if they didn't succeed and Jack should fade away. She curled it into a fist. "I'm sorry, Jack," she murmured an apology she hadn't manage to utter.

A soft breeze passed her and she found comfort in it. It felt like Jack's touch to her skin, cool and soothing. What made her eyes went wide was that the breeze carried a whisper, calling her name with a voice so familiar to her ears. "Jack?" she called out, but found it hard to believe it was him. He was lying unconscious in the North Pole with Olaf by her side.

As if to waive her doubt, she heard her name again. Elsa glanced around to see if there were any guardians around her and found them out of sight. She slipped away, following the wind. The wind took her to the outskirt of town, where the place was overgrown with trees. In the middle of the overgrowth was the skeleton of a bed. Underneath it, Elsa could see a pit leading to darkness.

She was sure it wasn't Jack although it was eerily similar. She was sure it was Pitch, trying to lure her. Even if it was him, Elsa decided fall into the trap. She wouldn't stand idly by while Pitch was conjuring whatever plan and wasting their time.

Elsa pushed the bed frame and met the pit. She leaned closer to see if there was any source of light down there. Suddenly, her hand slipped and she fell into the darkness. Her scream echoed in the tunnel. Somewhere along the fall she hit her head. The last things she remembered before slipping into unconsciousness were solid ground meeting her and Pitch standing in front of her with a smug grin plastered on his face.

…

The clock tower had chimed six times, marking six o'clock in the evening. Dusk was approaching and all the guardians present in Burgess were already gathering near the statue of Thaddeus Burgess, the founder of the town.

"I've checked everywhere. As far as I can see, Pitch hasn't made his move yet," said Bunny to which Sandy nodded in agreement.

"It's going to be dark soon," said North. "We best get ready."

Tooth was scanning the area, searching for someone. "Has anyone seen Elsa?" asked her.

"Haven't run into her for awhile," Bunny answered. "Don't worry. That kid wants to save Jack as much as we do, maybe more. She'll turn up soon."

"I hope Pitch doesn't get to her first," Tooth muttered.

…

Elsa's eye lids fluttered open but a sharp pain jolted in her head so she closed them again until the dizziness stopped. How hard she hit her head, she couldn't remember, but that was the last of her worries. What she was wondering about was how she was manacled to the wall with what seems to be ice-coated sand around her wrists and ankles. Elsa blinked her eyes, trying to adjust them to her dark surroundings and she saw Pitch, standing in front of her. His expression was unreadable.

"Hello there, Elsa," Pitch greeted her.

Elsa ignored him. She chose to struggle against her restraints. "Release me at once!"

"I'd love to, but I sensed that you'll interfere with my plan so I won't. However if you wish to join me, I might reconsider." Elsa didn't answer him. She lifted her chin and stared him down in defiance. It was answer enough for Pitch. "Pity… you and I would make a wonderful pairing. After all, we are what they call… a monster."

"I may have caused some pain and suffering, but I won't fall to your level and take pleasure in it."

"Such a shame. I'll just take your power too then!" Pitch hovered Jack's essence over Elsa's stomach. Nothing happened.

"You can't take my power, unless I'm willing to give it," said Elsa. That little victory satisfied her enough.

"No matter," said Pitch, pulling his hand away. "After I bring upon another ice age, I'll deal with you. When I'm done with you, you'll wish that you gave up your power whilst you have the chance. Meanwhile, you sit tight and enjoy the show." He then disappeared in a wisp of shadow, leaving Elsa alone in his lair.

…

Pitch flew over Burgess, the town that marked his first defeat. It was all because of that new guardian, Jack Frost and his first believers. If it weren't for them, now the world would be his. People would worship him in fear and he would be more powerful than ever.

It didn't matter anymore. Soon, Burgess would be the town that marked his victory. With Jack Frost out of the picture and Elsa, his half, trapped in his lair, there would be no one to stop him.

Pitch summoned his Nightmares. One by one the formed from his sand – only this time, they were enhanced with a coat of Jack's ice – until they was an army of them. "Go," he said, "show them what a world of dark and cold is like."

They went to fulfill his command. Some were galloping in circles around Burgess, creating a snow storm. The rest were creating havoc in town. They were destroying street lights, causing a failure and ultimately a power outage. They froze the generators too so electricity couldn't turn back on. People were panicking and tried to escape from their homes only to find they were frozen shut inside.

The guardians noticed the chaos that Pitch created and tried to stop him, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of Nightmares. It was hard enough to pierce through its ice armor, it was made worse by the fact every time they brought down a Nightmare another took its place. It was a never ending battle.

Pitch watched the scene with glee. His victory was only moments away.

…

Elsa bit her lower lip and struggled once more. She cursed herself for being so foolish, for not heeding the guardians warning. She had miscalculated. She thought even if Pitch was luring her to a trap, she could handle him by herself. It seemed she had underestimated her opponent, a mistake she vowed would never happen again.

She let out a deep breath. _Struggling won't do much_, Elsa decided. She reviewed all the lessons she had with Jack. Maybe, somewhere along the line he taught her how to control others' ice, but nothing came to mind. Elsa slumped. If only she realized her feelings for Jack sooner, embraced her power sooner, then maybe Jack could properly train her. So much for being his other half…

Suddenly, it came to her. If they were halves of the same ice, then maybe she could…

Elsa turned the cuff that bound her wrists. She concentrated hard. There was a faint cracking sound, followed by shattering noise. A second later, Elsa was free of her bond. Her heart leapt with joy. It was true, after all. Her ice and Jack's were the same. Only if she truly embraced her power, she could finally be one with it thus be one with Jack's too.

Now, for the next problem: how was she supposed to get out of Pitch's lair? She traversed the room and found some steps upward. She followed it but it just led her circling around the cave. The only way in and out was the way which she fell from but to reach there, she had to be able to fly and again, Jack hadn't taught her that. Well, he did but only in theory and it was so vague. _How does one ask the wind?_ Elsa thought.

She felt it, as if to answer her thought, a breeze circling around her. She closed her eyes and tried to recall what Jack taught her. '_Hey…'_ Elsa tried to call it.

_'Hi_.' The answer made Elsa jumped and almost lost her concentration. The wind heard her! Its voice was like one of a little girl and it was very soothing.

_'Can you help me?'_ Elsa tried again.

_'What's up?'_

_'A friend of ours is dying. I need your help to get me out of here so I can save him.'_

_'Is it Jack?'_

_'Yes! Can you help me? Please?'_

_'Brace yourself.'_

Elsa hadn't got the time to process everything when suddenly she felt herself was lifted upward and out through the tunnel. She must have flew awkwardly and flung herself here and there for the wind scolded her. _'Stop struggling! Just loosened up and follow my lead.' _Elsa tried to heed the wind but it was her first time flying after all. _'Jack was easier to carry_._'_

Finally, Elsa found her balance and she was out in the open. The wind took her to Burgess. Once there, the state of the town shocked her. A blizzard was raging the town, covering the town waist deep in snow, and worse there was a power outage. The people there were trapped in their own homes without light or heat. Elsa saw the guardians, but they were busy fending for themselves against the attack from Pitch's Nightmares.

Elsa searched for Pitch and found him flying over Burgess, controlling the blizzard in reverie. She pleaded the wind to take her to him. Pitch must have noticed her for he stopped what he was doing and turned to her. His expression was one of surprise. "How did you…" Before he could finish his sentence, Elsa hurled an ice bolt toward him. Pitch was forced to dodge and created some distance between them.

"Pitch Black! Return his essence to me!" Elsa commanded.

"Try and take it from me!" Pitch taunted.

Pitch should've known better than to anger the Snow Queen. Both of Elsa's hands glowed with a blue-white light as she charged her power, before sending a full blast of ice spike at Pitch. If Pitch didn't create an ice wall right on time, it would surely pierce right through him. He then summoned his scythe and swung it toward Elsa.

Elsa was still recuperating after the last attack. She was off guard and only managed to create and ice shield belatedly. The scythe grazed her waist and sent her flying a few yards away. She crashed hard to a billboard. Elsa shook the dizziness away, refused to give in to unconsciousness. She flew toward Pitch again, ready to send another wave of ice bolt, but Pitch got to her first. His sand engulfed her body and was squeezing her tighter by the second.

"Is that all?" Pitch mocked.

"Not… even… close…" Elsa strained to say. Her eyes glowed white and the sand that was swallowing her froze over. The next second it was shattered to every direction. She charged her power once more and sent a torrent of ice toward Pitch. Pitch dodged to the left, but Elsa was expecting it and the ice met him from the opposite direction. It reached Pitch and sent him crashing against the roof of someone's house. The ice had yet to release its icy grip. It engulfed him until it what was left was his hands and head.

Elsa was coming toward him, looking as dignified as a queen should be. In that moment, Pitch could smell fear, his own. It was the same as the time Jack had fought him, when Elsa had just been born. His every instinct told him to run, but he couldn't, not with her ice trapping him. Without even gracing him with a word, Elsa snatched Jack's essence from him.

"Elsa, listen to me. Just think about it. Imagine a world where coldness and fear rules. We could be rulers, you and I. The Snow Queen and the King of Nightmare! Just imagine the possibilities," Pitch tried to reason with her.

"No," Elsa answered coldly. Her word was like dagger. She proceeded to fully sealed Pitch in ice.

Elsa went to the guardians who were finally able to take some respite. With their commander immobile, the Nightmares stopped their mischief and dissolved into shadows. The blizzard stopped too, but the damage was done. People of Burgess were slowly freezing in their homes.

"Welcome back. The fight's over though," said Bunny in a sarcastic tone. When he saw what Elsa was holding, he quickly regretted his remark. "You won against Pitch?"

"He's bound with ice on that roof." Elsa pointed at the place where their battle took place. She deliberately ignored Bunny's sardonic comment. "Do as you see fit with him. Just give me the snow globe so I can return to Jack."

"Uhm, Elsa," Tooth cut in, "the townsfolk are still trapped in their homes. Can you help them?"

Elsa looked up to the sky and saw the moon almost touched the horizon in the western sky. Their 24-hours limit was almost up. She began to feel restless.

"Jack wouldn't want you to leave Burgess as is. He'd want you to save it," said North, encouraging her.

Elsa looked down to Jack's essence in her hand. It glowed softly, as if agreeing with North. She let out a deep breath. "Stay back," she said.

She tried to thaw the ice that had frozen over Burgess, just like how she did with Arendelle. Back then, her love for Anna and Arendelle were what helped her. This time though, Anna wasn't there, she didn't know Burgess enough to love it and thinking about Jack just reminded her how every second she delayed was every second he was dying.

Elsa could feel the guardians' impatient look boring through her back. She was as impatient as they were. She almost gave up. She was about to turn and gave up. She was about to suggest to resurrect Jack first and had him unfreeze Burgess when there was a shrill cry in the eerie silence.

"Sophie!" Elsa guessed it must be Mrs. Bennett. "Oh, honey, please wake up. Don't sleep now."

Elsa's heart thumped loudly in her chest. She might not know Burgess well enough or felt at home there, but the kids, they were still her first believers. Elsa still remembered when Jack took her to Burgess, after the snowball fight, the girls had flocked around her. Their eyes were so dreamy when they asked her all about her life as a princess. Although Elsa ended up telling them about Anna's side of the story (she couldn't bear to ruin their dreams of castle and balls with her story of self-imposed exile), they were listening intently. She remembered making tiaras for them and how they stared at them like they were the most wondrous things. Sophie, most of all, was hopping around her excitedly before taking her hands and made them spun in circles together.

No, Elsa decided she wouldn't let the kids met their demise. She wouldn't want that and Jack too wouldn't want that. "Jack, help me…" she whispered to the ice crystal in his hand. It was probably her imagination, but for a second Elsa thought the crystal shined and hummed in response. Elsa closed her eyes and spread her arms. She reached for the ice and snow that covered Burgess with her power, and just like how she did it in Arendelle, she brought all of them together to the sky, creating one giant snowflake as she lifted her hands. She spread her arms again and the snowflake dispersed. The curse had been lifted from Burgess.

Elsa turned to the guardians and Tooth hugged her. "I'm so proud of you," she said. "Now, let's go save Jack."

Without further ado, North readied his snow globe and opened a portal. They all went in together and the portal took them to North's office. Elsa saw the state Jack was in and took a reflexive step back. Jack was translucent. She was barely able to see him. Elsa quickly regained her composure and sat by Jack. She released the essence crystal back to Jack's stomach.

Nothing happened.

Elsa touched Jack's hand, clasping it in hers (thankfully she still could do that). "Please… come back to me…" she whispered. Still nothing.

Sandy began to look down. Tooth retreated to Bunny's shoulder, silently sobbing while he stared at Jack with eyes wide in disbelief. North removed his hat and bowed his head. Elsa whimpered and rested her had on Jack's fading chest. A tear fell from her eye and landed on his chest.

Jack's arms suddenly enveloped Elsa. Elsa sat upright and found herself staring at Jack who was grinning like a fool. His body too had returned its opaqueness. "Jack…" Elsa muttered.

"Hey, there," he said simply as if he wasn't dying just a second ago.

"Jack!" The guardians shouted together and were all over Jack in the next moment.

Elsa retreated politely, giving them the space they need. He was, after all, one of them. Bunny was hugging him, much to everyone's surprise. For one who was most often involved in an argument with Jack, he seemed to miss him the most. He kept going on about 'Stupid Jack. Don't you dare die on me again' and 'I thought I lost ya'. Tooth too was hugging him, making Elsa throbbed with jealousy, but she waved the thought away. North stood behind Jack, giving him a bear hug from behind. Sandy was the calmest of all. He just stood by Jack's side while looking at him with eyes full of gladness.

While he appreciated their gestures of affection, Jack found himself glancing toward Elsa who had decided to stay back. North noticed Jack's line of sight and broke the other guardians off Jack. "We'll give you a moment," said North while pushing everyone, including himself, out of his office.

When the door slammed shut, Jack spread his arms and smiled, inviting Elsa. Elsa didn't waste a second to leap to his embrace. They broke away for a moment, only to bring their lips together. Elsa was crying and laughing at the same time as they kissed. Jack put his hand on the back of her head to pull her closer and she wreathed her arms around his neck. The need of air made them pulled away, gasping.

"I can't get used to this," said Elsa.

"Get used to what?"

"Almost losing the person I love."

Jack beamed and kissed her again, albeit briefly. "You don't have to. This is the last time you'll ever have to feel that way." He rested his forehead against hers.

"You better keep your promise."

"Hey, I'm a part if your life now," Jack said grinning, "and there's nothing that can get rid of me. Not even you."


	12. Part of My Life

Elsa rubbed her temples in the attempt to rub her headache. Ever since Arendelle re-established their trades with Weselton (after much plea and letters of apology from their part), paper works just kept piling up. She had been sitting in her office since morning, signing and sealing letters for merchants and producers alike. That Duke and his bizarre demands! Elsa began to think she had made the wrong decision.

"Elsa!" She heard Anna shouted from the hall. A second later, her sister marched in, her clothes were dripping wet and so was her hair. Behind her, Kristoff and Olaf followed, trying to calm her down. "Do you know what your husband has been teaching Mike and Lucy!?"

"What?" Elsa asked while trying to stifle a chuckle. She could just imagine what it was.

"They were waiting behind my door and when I came in, they threw a bucket of snow at me!" Elsa couldn't help but snickered. "Elsa!" Anna pouted.

"Sorry."

"He's a king for God's sake! Why can't he be mature for once? Really, Elsa, I thought your type is someone more adult-like and wise, not a childish prankster. He's the polar opposite of you! I can't believe you'll fall for him. Wait, you're not offended are you? I'm so sorry. I should've said no offense."

"Don't worry, none taken. He has his charms, maybe," Elsa stood up. "I'll go and talk to him. Where are they?" Perhaps it was just the reprieve she needed.

"In the garden and thank you," said Anna.

Elsa walked the halls of her castle. She gazed at the tapestries hung on the wall. Most of them were of past heroes. Some were of the Arendelle royal family, but the latest one was one when Elsa was around eight years old. Elsa considered about hiring an artist to create a more updated version of the royal family. After all, their numbers had increased.

Whilst thinking about whom to hire and the wardrobe coordination, Elsa reached the castle garden. It was winter and the ground was covered in snow. There she saw her children, gathering snow inside a bucket. The boy who had his mother's platinum blonde hair helped his younger sister carried her bucket and set it down in front of her. The girl tucked and unruly silver hair behind her ear before getting down on her knees and began filling the bucket with snow. A man with similar silver hair was watching over them, his back was to Elsa so he didn't see her coming.

"Load it up, lads. Our next target is a big blonde hunk. We're going to need more snow," said the man.

When she was near them, Elsa cleared her throat. The kids reflexively dropped the snow they were holding and the man spun toward Elsa.

"I heard you kids are bullying your aunt," said Elsa, her face was a mock anger. The children hid their hands behind their backs and stared at the ground guiltily.

"Your sister needs to loosen up," defended the silver-haired man, "and I think you need to do the same." He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close.

"And _I _think you need to stiffen up a bit. You're a king, Jack."

"Who's to say rulers can't have fun?" Jack leaned toward Elsa to kiss her, but Elsa placed a finger in between them.

"Not in front of the children, Jack."

Jack turned to their children and squatted down. "Hey kids. Your aunt is tattling us. Who's up for revenge snow shower?" The children beamed and nodded. They took their buckets and ran inside the castle. Jack and Elsa watched them go, and then he pulled her close again. "Where were we?" he asked sarcastically bringing a smile on Elsa's face. They leaned closer, almost joining in a kiss when someone threw a snowball at Jack.

"Got you!" Anna squealed in delight. She had sneaked past her niece and nephew and was waiting for the moment to strike the mastermind behind the prank. "That'll teach you to mess with me. Wait, did I ruin something?"

Jack and Elsa turned to Anna. "Are you going to let her get away with that?" asked Jack.

"No," Elsa grinned mischievously.

They both opened their palms and created some snowballs. Anna eyes widened. "Two ice-maker against one normal human being? That's unfair!" Ignoring her protest, Jack and Elsa started to chase Anna while she ran for it.

Elsa woke from her slumber. She sat up and grinned, remembering her dream. It had been awhile since the last time she had a dream. For once, it was a good change.

"Having a good sleep?" Jack showed up beside her. It seemed he was up earlier than her. He was only wearing his pants and he handed Elsa her clothes. "Is it because of _last night_?" He winked meaningfully.

"No," Elsa turned red although she had to admit last night was great, "I had a dream about Anna."

"That must be a good dream," Jack said as he put on his sweater. "Are you going to get dressed soon? Not that I mind repeating _'last night'_, but I thought you want to visit Anna's grave?" Elsa punched Jack's arm and he pretended to be in pain. She chuckled and slipped on her dress.

After the whole ordeal with Pitch was over, Elsa had invited Jack to move in with her and of course he accepted without a second thought. Their relationship was stronger than ever. Jack continued to train her, although there was not much left to train, and Elsa helped him with his guardian duties. She had bonded with the children of Burgess and had spent the rest of the winter with them. When spring arrived, they part ways with the children but they promised to return in the winter to come.

A few days ago, Jack had traveled down the village in which had suffered much from Elsa's instability just to check up on them. It turned out the villagers were descendants of the citizen of Arendelle. They had lived there since the fall of Arendelle and they moved the royal burial site there. Jack of course reported his findings to Elsa and after a few days of preparing herself, she was ready to visit the grave.

Elsa took Tooth's memory box with her. She was ready to face Anna, or at least her memory. Anna might have some ill feeling toward her for leaving Arendelle in her hands all of the sudden, but Elsa was finally ready to face it.

Jack waited for her in the balcony. When Elsa appeared, he offered his hand for her. She took it and the both of them flew to the village. On the way, she glanced at Jack who glanced at her in turn, smiling. Both shared a common feeling in their heart. They were glad they were part of each others' lives.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes this is the end of the fic. Thank you for tuning in and for reading and for staying loyal. You know what, more expression of gratitude will be posted later after you readreview the two chapters I just posted. Meanwhile, I welcome your review, critiques, etc whether directly with the review function or with PM. I'll reply to your PM, don't worry.**

**IceCrystal & NightshadeLily: since both of your reviews are similar, i figure ill reply it together. i do have some plots about the next Jelsa fic that veered more toward the Frozen world rather than Rise of the Guardians (since this one is more to RotG). More details will be posted in a special author's note page after you read this ending chapter. Thank you both for becoming a loyal fan to this fic. If not for fans like you, I won't be able to go on.**

**Savvy Orion childofcommander & WickedMagic: Hope you love it that Elsa kicked his butt. If you read this, then you've reached the end of the fic. Thank you for reading up to now and for being a loyal fan. I won't be able to go on if not for fans like you**

**ElsaTheSnowQueen2: Hey, I think you're new in the reviews section? Thank you for taking your time to review my work. I'm glad my fic could brought you to tears. It's the greatest compliment a writer could have. Thank you for taking the time to read my work too.**

**So this is then. Again to all of you readers, thank you for reading this fic till the end. This fic is dedicated to all of you. I'll see you in my next work (hopefully)**


	13. Bonus Chapter & Author's Note

Anna stood in front of three tombstones. One her left, it was her father's and on the right was her mother's. In the middle, the tombstone was more recent than the other two. It was Elsa's. Anna set down the bouquet of flowers she had brought with her in front of Elsa's tombstone. "I just realized it," she whispered, "I don't know what's your favorite flower is. I don't know much about my own sister, other than she loved chocolate and was a capable queen.

"I regretted not stopping you that day. I should have insisted for you to stay. That day, Olaf had melted and I just knew something happened to you. The next day, a missive came, confirming what I feared." Tears streamed down her face and she tried hard to wipe it away, but it wouldn't stop flowing. "Afterward I locked myself in my room. I can't believe I was the only one left in our family. I was blaming you again for leaving me alone. That was when I realized, although I've been complaining about you shutting me out, you were the loneliest one between us. I at least still have the whole castle to play with, to interact with, while you were stuck in your room. I guess what I'm trying to say is… I understand and I'm sorry for cussing you during your coronation day. It's a bit late, huh? I hope you'll forgive me though.

"You know, I'm not much for a queen. You're the one that have a cool head, full of decorum, and all that queeny stuff a monarch should have, not me. Really, Elsa, it's on you if Arendelle fall to ruins in my command. You shouldn't have left."

Anna paused and composed herself. After letting out a deep breath, she continued, "but I still remember your last words. You said you believed in me. You probably said that just to convince me, or you really meant it. I don't know, but for your sake, I'll try. Really, I will.

"Today is the day I come of age. It's also my coronation day and also my wedding day. Yeah, I mashed up the three events for just a one night ball. Am I making the right decision? I don't know. Our court seems to just go along with it. You might be staring down at me right now and clicking your tongue in disapproval, but hey I'm quite new at this stuff. Spare me some credit. It's more economic-friendly for Arendelle, maybe. We don't have to do so many balls and it will save us a lot of money. But what if the people want more balls? Oh no, they'd hate me for it! Gosh, I'm blabbering," Anna stopped herself. "So you see, Elsa, I might not be the best queen for Arendelle, so please watch over me."

Anna took a few steps back and now Kristoff took Anna's place. "Hey, there," he greeted while setting down a flower on each tombstone. "I guess I'm not just addressing Elsa, but all of you as a family. I'm not sure if you're listening but here goes. I hope you give me your blessings to marry Anna. I'm not much for a king, but I promise to be the most supportive husband Anna could get. Please watch over us."

Kristoff retreated and stood beside Anna. "That's it?" she asked.

"What else there is to say?"

"Oh, I don't know. Elsa might disapprove you and haunt you with her icy wrath."

"She… might?"

"Kidding! Elsa won't haunt anyone. I don't know you believe in ghosts."

"I was raised by stone trolls. If they exist, who's to say ghosts don't?"

The pair walked away from the royal burial site hand in hand. It was new day for Anna, and for Arendelle.

…

The memory box ceased glowing and Elsa raised her head. She didn't know she had been crying. Jack who had been watching from a distance approached her. "Need a hug?" he asked.

"A bit, maybe, thank you," Elsa said as she rested on his shoulder.

"How was Anna?"

"She's fine."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah. I just missed her so much, but Anna moved on and so should I." Elsa separated herself from him and caressed his cheek. "It's time for me to look at what's in front of me, not behind."

Jack smiled approvingly which made Elsa smiled in return. She squatted down in front of Anna's grave and set something down. It wasn't a bouquet. It was a miniature of Olaf, the snowman they used to build as children. "Goodbye, Anna," Elsa whispered and kissed the tombstone as if it was Anna herself.

Jack was waiting for her and she linked her arms around his. As they both left the burial site, she could hear the wind whispered something with a voice she had missed so much. It was a question Elsa longed to answer: _Do you wanna build a snowman?_

"I do," Elsa mumbled her reply.

"Hmm?" Jack thought she was talking to him and raised an eyebrow.

"I want to build a snowman," Elsa replied firmly.

Jack was confused but he smiled understandingly. "Let's go build a snowman, then."

* * *

><p><strong>I know, I know. I said the story was over but I can't help it. I can't move on unless this chapter is out of my mind. Hope you enjoy the bonus chapter. I won't be able to reply to your reviews anymore so you can PM me.<strong>

**So this is gonna be a long author's note.**

**I can't fully express how grateful I am to all of you who have read this fic. Not just because you read it, but because you saved me. I was in the brink of hopelessness. I was trying to write a novel only to find myself repeatedly having an author's block. I was on the verge of giving up when I remembered about this site (I had another ID years ago which I've forgotten) and thought 'Hey, why don't I write something on it'. I think was browsing around the RotG and Frozen crossover section when I have the idea for this fic.**

**I confess I never thought anyone would bother to read this fic. I was doing it more for myself, so I won't forget my English (I'm not a native speaker), but then I saw the traffic stat and the reviews I received and I was like 'People are reading this fic!'**

**I don't know how many of you there are out there but to each and every one of you, thank you. Thank you for saving me, thank you for encouraging me, thank you for making me realize this is worth it.**

**I wasn't planning on a sequel, but because two people (you know who you are) ceaselessly urged me to make one, I racked my brain for it and actually found an idea.**

**But again I was again in a dilemma, because you ignited my passion so much I came up with three major ideas in my mind right now.**

**1. Another Jelsa fic set up in 'Frozen' world**

**2. A World of Warcraft fic**

**3. A young adult romance novel to be published for real in my country**

**I've decided to do the three of them altogether. The reason why I tell you all this is because I'm going to take the next Jelsa fic seriously. Update time might be longer because I won't update unless I'm fully satisfied with what I write. It might take awhile for it to come out because I have my thesis coming up and I need to focus on that but I promise to make it.**

**With all that said, I dedicate this fic to all of you loyal readers. Thank you for being such a wonderful audience to this play. I'll see you again, I hope **

**If you wish to contact me, I'd love to receive your PM. If you allow it, I'll reply to your reviews via PM too.**


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